


The Advisor Affair

by omega_owl



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Alliances, Angst with a Happy Ending, Diplomacy, F/M, Original Character(s), POV Original Female Character, Politics, court intrigue, palace gossip, there is sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-16 20:50:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 28,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19325845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omega_owl/pseuds/omega_owl
Summary: Rumors will fly and morals will be tested in an explosive story of kingdoms and love.Far to the west and across the ocean lies Dubaiya, a diminutive country living in the shadow of the Parthavian empire. Once surrounded by several other countries, it remains the only one not having been sucked into the great nation. Hoping to join the Seven Seas Alliance and solidify their spot on the map, a party of Dubaiyan diplomats makes the month-long journey across the sea to the shining island nation of Sindria...Ja'far, advisor to King Sinbad, is known for being the voice of reason in Sindria court, keeping his best friend and ruler out of trouble. But when trouble finds him, he will be forced to choose between the future of the Seven Seas Alliance and the girl he's fallen in love with...So begins The Advisor Affair, a Magi fanfiction...





	1. Sindria Bound

Don't fail.

His words were in my ears as my country disappeared behind us on the horizon.

Don't fail.

Tariq and I had stood on the gangplank of the ship. The sea wind ruffled the silk hood overtop of my hair, made the embroidered hem of my cropped shirt caress my midriff. My long skirt blew around my feet.

"Are we sure the prince should go with you?" he sighed. "He's so twitchy about magic. We can't have him freaking out and insulting anyone while you're there."

"He'll most likely stay on the boat the whole time," I said, "And if he does get rude, Farrah will probably beat him up before any insults fly."

He laughed. "She certainly would."

"And I'll be there to keep both of them in line."

"You'd better." He paused then and looked at his sandaled feet. Seagulls cried out from the pier in a keening, piercing cacophony. "Priya..." he said, meeting my eyes, "... you know what you need to do. You're the one who will bring our salvation. You're the smartest, cleverest ambassador I've ever known."

I didn't know what to say. I fussed with my hands behind my back and fixed my gaze on the board beneath us.

"I mean it. You get those Sindrian diplomats to take us. The king, the queen... we're all counting on you back here, Priya."

"I know," I said. The ship's captain called out to prepare to embark. I got one last look at my good friend's face. "I suppose this is goodbye, Tariq."

"It's only three months." His grin was halfhearted and was gone quickly.

"Well." I backed up a step, towards the ship's deck. "I'll see you in three months."

"I want to hear everything about it," he said, stepping off the gangplank onto the dock. "And Priya..."

I met his eyes. Bright, hard eyes.

"Don't fail."

~

Gazing out at the endless sea, I turned my thoughts over and over in my head. Who I was. Where I was going. What I needed to do.

I am Priya Maashava, advisor to the Princess Farrah, heiress apparent to the kingdom of Dubaiya. I am our strongest diplomat.

I am going to Sindria in the company of my princess, her brother, and many assistant diplomats.

I will help my country join the Seven Seas Alliance to prevent an invasion by Parthavia. I will not fail. I will not lose sight of my purpose. I will not let anything Sindria has to offer change this.

I will join the Seven Seas Alliance.

And I will not fail.


	2. The Delegation - Ja'far

King Sinbad, ruler of Sindria, leader of the Seven Seas Alliance, most powerful man alive, sat at his desk pouting at me. "Is this necessary?" he moaned.

"The heiress apparent to a kingdom is coming to visit you. The least you can do is know who she is." I crossed my arms. "Now what is her name?"

He sighed. "Crown Princess Farrah Ganesh."

"Alternatively, 'Your Highness' or 'Princess,' but yes. What is the name of her brother?"

"Prince Karheem Ganesh. Twin brother, but she was born first, and Dubaiya's laws of inheritance give the princess the crown in this instance."

I nodded. "You did do your research. Good for you."

He smirked. "What's next?"

I unrolled my scroll and scanned the list of the Dubaiyan diplomats and their titles. One name caught my eye. "What is the name of Princess Farrah's advisor and chief ambassador?"

Now Sinbad's violet eyebrows crushed down in confusion. "Who?"

"The one who will be leading all negotiations on Dubaiya's behalf."

"That's not fair. I didn't get that far," he scowled.

I sighed. "Priya Maashava."

He just shrugged and poured himself another glass from the wine bottle on the desk next to him. 

"You really shouldn't be drinking so much," I said with veiled disgust. "The ship is bound to arrive today and I can't have you greeting them as a drunken idiot."

"Whether or not he's drunk, he's still bound to make an idiot of himself," said a voice from the door. We both turned. Sharrkan was leaning on the doorframe, grinning away. "I hope you two are ready, because the ship was just spotted. They're here."

~

A single vessel brought the Dubaiyan entourage. The princess greeted us formally on the docks, and the rest of her diplomats made a rough semicircle around her.

Even as Princess Farrah spoke, even as I welcomed her to Sindria along with Sinbad, for some reason... my gaze kept wandering to the advisor behind her. Her chief ambassador. Priya.

I tried to listen to the princess, but the girl kept drawing me in.

Her complexion was dark, similar to Sharrkan's, yet her heart-shaped lips and soft cheekbones were rosy. Her hair - or what I could see of it under a red, silken hood - was a fascinating shade of magenta-purple, and her arching eyebrows were the same hue. Her eyes, curtained by dark lashes and a winged brushstroke of eyeliner, were purple. Amethyst. The princess was certainly beautiful, but her advisor... she was positively enchanting.

I was enraptured. 

So, naturally, I kept my eyes fixed firmly on either Sin or Princess Farrah for the rest of the welcoming. It was unnervingly difficult to do.

I had traveled to countless countries and crossed paths with plenty of young women - not very hard to do, seeing as my best friend drew them to us like honey draws flies - but never before had I felt this flustered before one. I left the womanizing to Sinbad. I was the logic, the reason, the diplomat - not to mention, the ex-assassin - and I had no time for the pleasures Sin chased so tirelessly.

So why now, out of all the times I'd negotiated with pretty girls, did I suddenly feel so discoordinated?

I was snapped out of my reverie as the Dubaiyan diplomats began following some of our Sindrian officials down the docks to the road that led to the palace. The welcoming was over. Amid the sea of sunset-colored shawls and clothes, I lost sight at last of the other advisor's amethyst eyes.

Sinbad put his hands on his hips. "Those girls were something else, huh?" he said lightly.

That dizzy bubble popped and another emotion, something far more bitter, sprang up. I gave my friend a bewildered look that held more venom than I expected. "Sin!" I exclaimed, "what did I say, not an hour ago? Dubaiya is a country centered around personal honor! You can't just go around hitting on every upstanding woman you see, you'll disgrace their reputation!"

Even though I'd lectured him about this hundreds of times, my sudden vigor made him blink. "Yes, I'm aware, I was just trying to make conversation. You've been uncharacteristically quiet this whole time."

I breathed silently out of my mouth. I needed to calm down. I was getting irrational.

The king raised an eyebrow. "Now, if I didn't know you as well as I do, I'd think that sudden outburst had a hint of jealousy, Ja'far."

I scoffed. "Please. I'm just reminding you that Dubaiya is touchy when it comes to scandals of any kind, so do us all a favor and show restraint for the next month."

"You worry too much."

"After the Kogyoku incident, I have every right to."

Some fleeting emotion crossed his face too quickly for me to identify it. He then laughed. "I guess I couldn't expect any less of you. Always my impulse control," he said cheerfully, making his way after the delegates to accompany them. "I'll see you at the festival."

When he was out of earshot, I sighed for real. I needed to follow my own advice, I realized. And as much as I would hate to admit it... the low neckline and exposed midriff of that advisor's Dubaiyan outfits were not going to help.

"I saw that." Masrur's slow voice droned from the hulking form over my left shoulder.

I shot him a cool glance. "Saw what?"

"You were checking out that other advisor."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I crossed my arms.

"Uh-huh." The Fanalis' expression did not change, but his piercing eyes held a spark of mirth.

I sniffed and started after my king. "We should prepare for the festival."

"Show restraint, right?"

"Shut up, Masrur."


	3. The Festival - Priya

In Dubaiya, we had parties. But in Sindria, they had  _ parties _ . Parties so mind-blowingly grand that even Prince Karheem came ashore for a few hours, and he usually found them abhorrent. 

Farrah and I met all eight generals up on the king's raised pavilion overlooking the flourishing crowds in the plaza. Karheem didn't. His time at the Sindrian festival was cut short when he learned that Yamuraiha, the curvy water magician, was formerly of Magnostadt. The superstitious prince suddenly remembered he had duties elsewhere and took off for his rooms, muttering about the untrustworthiness of magic. Despite his grumblings, the rest of us had a thoroughly enjoyable time. The Imuchakk warrior family, particularly the mother, took an instant liking to me for some inexplicable reason, as did Sahel, the wife of the dragon-general Drakon.

Sinbad waved a hand and continued the introduction. "This is Ja'far, my vassal and one of my closest friends," said the king, motioning to a figure partially hidden behind the Fanalis named Masrur. He stepped out next to him after a fraction of hesitation.

Of course. Sindria's chief ambassador. My main ally for the next month of delegations.

"We are pleased you attended our festival, Your Highness," he said in a cool, collected voice, bowing his head slightly and keeping his gaze pinned on Farrah. When he came up again, his eyes slipped to me for a moment.

I studied him. He was dwarfed next to the Fanalis and the Imuchakk, but he didn't look any shorter than me. His hair was pure white, silky straight, and brushed to either side of his forehead. He wore a headdress consisting of a long, deep green piece of linen secured onto his head by a golden circlet. The color matched his eyes - they were boundless, intelligent, and extremely alluring. Despite his pale hair and complexion, his lashes were long and dark. His eyes were just barely almond shaped, but he didn't look like he was from Kou. He was certainly pale, but under all those robes, I couldn't discern his build.

I realized King Sinbad had moved on while I was distracted. The other advisor's eyes flitted to me again, catching me staring, before turning away with the barest whisper of a smile.

I shook it off with a scowl. I was here to secure a future for my homeland. I did not have time to flirt.

Farrah and I got some food from the king's table, and when I was done, went over to the edge of the open pavilion platform and looked on over the golden glow of the festival. 

Dancers. Feasts. Lanterns. Cheering. Linen. Fires. Wine. Flowers. And exciting music, so unlike anything back home, winding in between it all, threatening, daring me to let go.

"Good evening, miss." I turned.

It was the advisor. Ja'far. He had freckles across the bridge of his nose, I realized up close. I nodded to him. "Good evening," I said.

"I'm sure you heard earlier, but I am King Sinbad's advisor, Ja'far." He gave me a small smile. "Seeing as we're most likely going to spend quite a bit of time together in the near future, I thought it prudent that we formally introduce ourselves tonight, in an informal setting."

His protocol was excellent. I was impressed. "It's nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. Ja'far. I'm Priya." Suddenly, my heart dropped. Too casual. I mustered my dignity and added, "Princess Farrah's advisor. As... you no doubt guessed."

"I did," he said with a nod. "It's good to finally speak to you, Miss Priya."

"Agreed. I'm sure we'll get along wonderfully. I'm looking forward to working with you in the future," I said. 

"And I, you," he replied.

Suddenly, I realized... that was it. The conversation was dead. The diplomat in me wanted to leave... but some small other part of me wanted to remain. Talk to him more. Our introductions were utterly formal. I knew nothing about this Ja'far of Sindria, not really... and that small part wanted that to change.

He didn't walk away. He looked down at his hands, hidden in his sleeves, fidgeted, then met my eyes. The awkwardness spiked. Diplomatic alarm bells went off in my head,  _ this situation needed saving _ \- 

"Would you care for a drink, Miss Priya?" he asked smoothly, recovering perfectly.

"That's very kind of you. I think I will take you up on that offer," I said, plastering a smile on my face while my mind whirled. Usually I could think of a recovery on the fly, but just then, I'd gotten distracted by his eyes for a split second, and my mind had gone utterly blank. What was that? Did he have me under some sort of enchantment? Was the water magician behind some devious scheme here in Sindria, as Karheem insisted?

I followed the vassal away from our spot overlooking the festival, playing the part of the polite ambassador, but that didn't erase my wariness. There was something about him that made me uneasy - no, something that put me at too much ease in his presence.

I had to be careful around him until I figured out exactly what was going on.

~

Ja'far and I ended up sticking together throughout the night - mostly out of my desire to feel him out, search him for any ill will or possible magic. Besides his household vessel, there was nothing. He was very knowledgeable about his kingdom and was able to answer all my questions about tradition and history. More often than not, the inquiries segued into easy, comfortable conversations. The comfort was still perplexing... but as the night went on, I decided it was a good thing. A friendship between us would no doubt be beneficial to the future of the Seven Seas Alliance.

We sat with King Sinbad and Farrah for some semblance of an organized meal later that night. Ja'far and I maintained a respectable distance away from each other, but we were completely separate from the other conversations around us, engrossed in our own discussion.

"Parthavia seems an intimidating force to negotiate against," said the other advisor.

I nodded. "It is rather tedious. We have such opposing views, we'll reach impasses left and right. Negotiations can go on for months with nothing getting done, glaring at each other across the table."

"What sort of liberties do you fight hardest for?" he asked. "It could be helpful to know, for our upcoming negotiations."

"Of course." Unlike with Parthavia, both Sindria and Dubaiya wanted what was best for both of us. It was a refreshing change. "Military occupation is commonly clashed over. We don't want foreign troops on our soil."

"Understandable," he said.

I pondered past relations with the colossal empire. "Trading rights. Tariffs. Foreign markets within our borders. Dubaiya is a relatively self-reliant economy, and we plan on keeping it that way."

Ja'far nodded. "So," he said, "I assume Parthavia wants the opposite. Troops stationed within Dubaiya, lowered or nonexistent tariffs between your countries, increased imports of Parthavian goods."

"And a permanent diplomatic party of Parthavian ambassadors in our court. That's a significant issue as well."

"An array of spies, they mean."

"Exactly." I popped a grape into my mouth. "They want to turn my country into a colony in all but name."

He was quiet for a bit, nodding, deep in thought. His green eyes were cast down. I let myself wonder about him for a little bit. What was he like outside of protocol? Who is the Ja'far King Sinbad knows? Does he have friends outside of court? Family?

Lovers?

I shook my head, suddenly realizing I had been tracing the straight slope of his nose with my gaze. I didn't need to know any of that, even as friends. That was getting too personal. None of my business. I took a sip of wine to focus back.

"Have you ever had to go back on your word after any negotiations?" asked Ja'far at length.

"Once or twice, I suppose, in Parhavia's opinion," I said. "But in actuality, I just worked loopholes into the contracts and they were sore when they found out. Loopholes are my specialty." 

I instantly kicked myself. Was the wine going to my head? This wasn't some date! He wasn't your average decent-looking guy off the street, he was a diplomat - and a damn good one. One who was supposed to be on my side. And now that I'd told him I was skilled at throwing underhanded loopholes into contracts, I couldn't possibly have his full trust anymore. I could have blown this entire thing because some young man puts me at far too much ease when I talk to him.

Ja'far, oblivious to my internal turmoil, just huffed a laugh and said, "Mine, too." A muscle ticked in his jaw and he went for his cup without meeting my eyes. He suddenly looked less relaxed.

The silence stretched for a moment. Maybe I hadn't blown it, after all. "You didn't intend to tell me that," I muttered.

He looked at me with a reluctant, superior lift to his eyebrows. "Neither did you," he answered quietly.

A ghost of a smile reached my lips and I began casually piling more fruit onto my plate. "You heard nothing."

"Of course," he said, picking up my peace offering. "This conversation never happened."

"Of course." We went back to eating with silence between us.

But I'd spy him catching my eyes every once and awhile, and I'd smile back. We shared a secret between us, now. 

The first in a snowballing collection of them.


	4. The Dancer - Ja'far

Negotiations started up two days later. Princess Farrah, Priya, and a couple other Dubaiyan delegates made up the foreign party. Sinbad and I were accompanied by a few of our own top diplomats.

I struggled to keep my focus on my work.

Priya sat across from me, and even though Farrah was the head of the entourage, her advisor dominated the discussions. We weren't even talking about anything particularly important to the future of the Seven Seas Alliance at that point, but her choice of words was always poignant, her vocabulary was diverse, and it was clear she'd done extensive research.

She made it very hard not to like her.

We only spent an hour or two in the discussion pavilion, and already had a basic outline sketched out for the specifics of Dubaiya's alliance pact. Sinbad and I accompanied the visiting entourage out.

"You're really quite amazing." The king was talking to Priya. "I don't think I've ever met a diplomat as skilled as you. You may even be better than Ja'far." He said this with a lighthearted glance at me.

She smiled. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"And with such a lovely face, I admit you caught me off guard. I pity any enemies who have crossed you and your enrapturing beauty." He turned his charm up to its highest with a disarming smile.

I glared at him and subtly stepped on his foot. Hard. Of course he'd put the moves on the prettiest girl in the group. "Sin," I warned under my breath."

Priya simply tilted the edges of her mouth up in cool denial. "All due respect, King Sinbad, but if you're trying to get something out of me through flattery, it won't work," she said. "I've gotten plenty of compliments from delegates who have crossed me, and I have outsmarted them all." She bowed her head with a hint of a smirk. "Good day, Your Majesty."

And she walked off.

Sinbad's face was ashen with poorly hidden humiliation.

"Wow," I breathed.

"Wow nothing," said my friend, picking up the shattered pieces of his ego. "Maybe I'd better keep my sights on other women. Less brilliant women."

"Oh, good," I said, "From here on out, maybe you'll finally stop trying to charm  _ every  _ young lady you see. There might be hope for you yet."

"Bastard," he pouted.

I grinned.

~

"Ja'far!"

I turned. I was headed to the library. Someone had appeared behind me in the hallway. My heart leaped into my throat as I spied a red silk hood.

Priya immediately shook her head. "Forgive me - Mr. Ja'far."

I held up a hand. "Don't worry about that outside negotiations. Ja'far is fine, if you're comfortable with that. May I... just call you Priya?"

She nodded. "Yes. Of course," she said, tucking a strand of her magenta-purple hair back under her hood. "I was wondering if you might be able to show me the direction of the library. I want to do some studying so that I'm prepared for tomorrow's discussions."

"You seemed like you were already quite prepared," I said with a smile. "But yes, I'll show you. I was going there myself, actually. It's just down this hall."

"Oh, good. Thank you, Ja'far," she said.

Our eyes met, but I broke the connection after a moment too long. "My pleasure... Priya."

~

"Historical texts are right here," I said, pointing to the long, curving wall of bookcases by the entrance. "Sindrian culture and references are upstairs to the left. Atlases are down that way near the windows to the gardens." I then pointed out a study lounge encircled in books on the second floor, just off the mezzanine. "I'll be up there by the world gazetteers if you need anything."

"Thank you." She set off, idly running a hand along the spines of the books as she passed. A fellow lover of books, it seemed.

I blinked and went up to the study. My footsteps seemed too loud.

I was here to do some more research on Parthavia and Dubaiya. The lone desk was covered in all of my stuff - maps of both countries, tomes of history and government, and several sheets of paper that I'd jotted down notes and lists on.

It was time to forget the Dubaiyan girl downstairs. Sindria and Parthavia had amicable relations at the moment - I had to find a way to keep the huge empire happy while also securing the autonomy of their tiny neighbor. I sat at the desk and dove into my work.

~

"Excuse me."

I looked up. There she was.  _ Damn it _ . "Yes?" I said.

She gestured to the library behind her. "Records of treaties and alliances of the Reim Empire more recent than fifty years ago?"

"Oh, yes. Right." I rose and led her along the mezzanine. "Reim alliances? May I ask what those are for?"

She shrugged. "Reference. There's a lot of history that can be useful."

"True," I said. I turned back to the Dubaiyan girl. "You're very knowledgeable. How long did you say you've been the princess's advisor?"

"Three years, almost four."

"Really? Only three years?" I stopped at the shelf that held the tomes she needed. "What did you do before that? Were you a diplomat's assistant?"

She laughed a breath of air and averted her gaze. "No, actually," she said. "It's... not that prestigious."

"What do you mean?" I asked, tipping my head to the side in respectful intrigue.

She ran her hand under her hood, through her hair, still looking to the side. "My mother... she sent me to Chandrapur for a better life after my father died. I was eleven."

"An eleven-year-old girl alone in Dubaiya's capital city?" I knew the booming port city's reputation. How women were treated there.

Priya nodded. "I know. And I knew the risks back then, too, so I jumped at the first chance of relative security." She hesitated, but pressed on. "I... became a cleaning maid. In a brothel."

My eyes widened.

She began talking quickly. "I cleaned rooms and such, changed bedsheets for a couple years, but by the time I was thirteen, my job description changed. So I became a dancer."

"Oh."

"So I danced. Entertained the patrons. Not - not like that," she hastened to clarify, "I stayed in a corner with a couple of other girls and looked pretty. The older girls did... that sort of stuff."

"I see." Her embarrassment on the topic was rubbing off on me, and I felt bad for inquiring. I tried to shift the subject. "So, how did you get to the royal court from... there?"

"The prince, Karheem," she said. "The one who is superstitious of magic, who left immediately after realizing your water magician was a Magnostadt alumnus."

"Oh, is that why he only stayed for a minute?"

"Yes, he's rather twitchy about it, thinks all magic has ties to the Black Rukh. Anyway, he and his advisor visited the brothel. There was an... incident while they were there." She was rubbing her fingers together. "Karheem felt awful. He offered to take me to the royal palace, to get me out of the city and become one of his sister's many ladies in waiting. I took the job." Now, she looked up. "Farrah took a liking to me, I got a good education, soaked up knowledge like a sponge, plowing through two or three books a day. And now I'm here." Her heart-shaped lips turned up in a smile.

She was mesmerizing.

She blinked. "Alliance records."

"Right." I gestured at the shelves, growing warm. "They're here."

"Thanks." She began scanning the titles, and began selecting some one by one. I didn't quite know what to do. Leave? That was probably the most appropriate option, but to do so so soon after she'd just told me so much seemed rude. And the more time I spent with her, the more I  _ wanted  _ to spend with her.

I shoved my hands into my sleeves and asked weakly, "Is there... anything more you need?"

"Hm?" she said, adding a book to the ever-growing pile in her arms before looking to me. "Oh, no that's alright. This is fine."

"Oh. Okay. Well... you know where I'll be." I took a step away.

"Yes. Thank you."

I hesitated for a moment longer before turning and striding with a purpose back to my study, my face burning.  _ Friendship _ , I chided myself.  _ This is nothing more than a political friendship. _

The flustered feeling in my chest told me otherwise.


	5. The Assassin - Priya

I had fallen hopelessly in love.

With King Sinbad's library.

The main chamber was enormous - two generous stories high, rotund like a cylinder, with a domed ceiling covered in mosaic tiles. The mezzanine balcony encircled the wall and extended away to the left and right, turning into split-level corridors of bookcases, supported by painted columns. Two steep staircases curved down from its height, with marbled stone glazing up and down both.

Built-in bookshelves lined every open wall in a rainbow effect of brown, blue, and beige spines. In most areas, the tomes were perfectly aligned and undisturbed, flush to the cases, but in some, the books were slanted and listing, compensating for the gaps between them. Some had fallen so far, they lay flat in stacks, acting as bookends. A few of the shelves had spaces devoid of volumes entirely, and instead filled with unlit, decorative lamps, small vases, diminutive boxes, and other pretty items. Oil lamps illuminated the whole place from mounts on the columns and walls.

There were tasseled rugs on the tile floor and round pillows on the futons to soak up sound and provide comfort. I was sprawled on a lounge as I paged through a huge stack of books, barely a week into Dubaiya's visit to Sindria.

They were mostly on history and culture of various countries - Parthavia, Balbadd, Imuchakk, the Kou Empire. I was comparing my knowledge from the Dubaiyan scripts back home, and the information matched up nicely - a little too nicely, seeing as I couldn't find any new tidbit about the Parthavian military or government. It was all nothing I didn't already know.

I had been making it a point to visit the library every day, even if only to be surrounded by the peaceful beauty of the room. I was thoroughly enjoying myself one day when I became aware of a strange thunking sound. I looked around. The sounds were sharp but barely audible, coming from... outside?

I stuck a tassel into the book I was reading to keep my place, then went to the windowed doors that led to the gardens. The sound grew louder. I stepped out into the bright sunshine to investigate.

The gardens on this side of the palace were terraced walkways shaded equally by shrubs, large flowering plants, palm trees, and marble statues.  The sporadic thunking came from beyond a wall of shrubbery.

I padded closer. The flagstone paths were only just beginning to warm up after being shaded all morning. As I drew nearer, I began to hear the faint whisper of string and huff of labored breathing, as well as a distinctly metallic ring to the original noise. Before I turned to see what was beyond the shrubs, I bit my thumb. Maybe I was trespassing on some private occasion. It wasn't too late to turn back.

I stepped around the shrub nevertheless.

It was Ja'far.

Of course it was. I just couldn't help running into him everywhere I went, could I.

He was in the middle of a large patio surrounded by eight or ten columns that supported nothing but the sky. His robe and dark headdress were on a bench to the side, and he wore a white linen shirt and loose trousers tied at the knee. His shoes were discarded in favor of sandals with lacings reminiscent of a Reim Empire style.

There were three dummies set up in the middle of the space, and he was leaping and weaving between them in a fighting dance, ducking around their outstretched swords. He was flinging around two triangular blades attached to red string - some weapon I'd never seen before. The blades whipped through the air with shocking precision, almost as if they had minds of their own, slashing wide wounds into the padding of the dummies and tangling their feet in a move that would have tripped a real person. They disengaged with a tug of the string, and he was back at it again. Leaping for a better vantage point. Pinning their arms to their sides. Sending those blades hurtling for vital organs and arteries.

I had never seen anything like his dance of death. I stood, struck dumb, at the edge of the patio.

Something must have tipped him off that he wasn't alone, for all at once, the blades clattered to the ground as he realized I stood there. He rose from his fighting crouch and blinked. His face was flushed from exertion.

"Ah... hello," I said weakly, raising a hand and giving a small wave. "I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to distract you -"

"No, no, it's alright, um, I was just... just finishing up, anyway." He cleared his throat and began winding one of the red strings up his forearm, corded with veins and muscle. I wasn't sure the redness on his face was entirely from working anymore. "Why, uh... why are you out here?" he asked at length. No accusation, just curiosity.

I jabbed a thumb in the direction of the library. "I just heard a noise and wanted to investigate."

"Oh."

The other advisor finished wrapping up the first blade and started on the second. I watched him for a bit longer than I should have before saying, a little too fast, "That was amazing, what you were doing just now. What... what is your weapon called? I've never seen it before."

"Oh, these?" All of a sudden, his wrapping halted - the triangular blade had gotten caught on a dummy's base where it had been dragging across the patio. He gave it a couple hasty tugs to no avail before moving to a better angle and yanking the string. The little blade sprang free, sailed through the air, and was snatched up, fast as lightning. He gave me a sheepish smile and held it up. "They're called kenai. Not a very common weapon, and incredibly hard to master. They're also my household vessel - Balalark Sei. The only reason I could do all that -" his gaze flicked to the decimated dummies, "- was because I'd been training with them my whole life."

"Where did you learn how to do it?" I asked.

Now, he stopped wrapping and stared down at his hands. The red string, the gleaming blades. "It's a long story."

Probably one of his life, I realized. I gave him a smile. "I told you mine the other day," I encouraged. 

He huffed a laugh. "Mine's not very pleasant."

"And mine was?"

"Well, I suppose not."

"If you don't want to, don't feel like you have to."

"No," he said, "You trusted me with your history. I think I can trust you with mine." He grabbed his robe off the bench and began shrugging it over his shoulders, then spared a glance to me. "I was born into the Organization. Into al-Tharman. A branch known as the Sham Lash assassins. We were one of Parthavia's closest kept secrets - their secret elimination force."

_ Parthavia controls a branch of al-Tharman? A secret troupe of assassins? _ My eyes widened. "I've never heard of the Sham Lash," I said quietly.

"Nor would you have. The Emperor and his closest advisors were the only ones who knew we existed. Whenever Parthavia needed someone dead, they sent us in - and I was the chief of them all."

A chief assassin. Of Parthavia. Maybe it was a mistake to think he could be my ally…

"Everything changed when I met Sinbad, though," he said with a fond smile. "See, he was on the run from Parthavia's forces after he captured the dungeon Baal and fled to Imuchakk. I - along with two of my strongest subordinates - was sent to find him."

"And kill him."

"Yes," he added with hesitation, glancing at me to make sure I wasn't overly horrified. I kept the emotions off my face. He went on. "However, when we got there, and we ultimately clashed in the dungeon Valefor... somehow, using that charisma of his, he managed to pull me from the darkness. He looked at me like no one else had - like I was a real person, with a real future, not the one of killing and brutality I had been raised in, surrounded by, my whole life. He saw me for what I really was - a tormented orphan. Sick of al-Tharman. Sick of death, under it all. I'd been living in darkness for eleven years, and he pulled me out." He studied one of his kenai blades. "I'd had these blades in my hands for five years before that time. All I knew was killing, and I thought that was all I'd ever know. Until he showed up."

The horror was gone. The happiness in his eyes as he talked about his friend... this was no Parthavian grunt. This was him. Ja'far.

"My subordinates and I left the Sham Lash after that, and I have been following Sinbad on his harebrained adventures ever since. Without their chief, the troupe dissolved. Al-Tharman lost its grip on us, and Parthavia lost its secret force for good." He looked to me. "So don't worry about them coming after your country."

"I'm not, I'm..." suddenly, one of the details of his story stuck out in my mind. I paused, going over the math - it didn't add up. Couldn't possibly add up. "Hold on," I said, "You said Sinbad saved you when you were eleven?"

"Yes."

"And you'd been using your kenai for five years prior?"

"Correct. I was also made chief around that time, too."

I blinked. "That doesn't make any sense, you would have had to have been-"

"Six years old." 

My mouth opened in shock. "No... no way. So you were really that young?"

He shrugged as a means of an answer.

"Ja'far, that's... that's  _ awful _ . A six-year-old, running a band of assassins?"

"That's al-Tharman for you. I told you it wasn't pleasant." He dropped his gaze and went back to tying his robes back on. Avoiding my gaze.

I stopped him with a light hand on his arm. He froze immediately and looked at me, eyes wide. I left my hand there and said quietly, gently, "Thank you. For telling me this. I can't imagine it's easy, and... I'm grateful you trust me enough to tell me."

His mouth quirked up at the corners in a bashful smile, and he glanced downward. "I just... don't want you to think of me any differently, now."

"If you won't think of me differently for once being a dancer, I won't think of you differently for once being an assassin."

Now, his grin was pure and genuine. 

"It's a deal, then," he said.


	6. No Longer Friendship - Ja'far

The negotiations for Dubaiya entering the Seven Seas Alliance were going smoothly - at this point, three weeks in, we were mostly focusing on Parthavia's prospective retaliation. Trying to work both of our countries into a safe place inside the few loopholes in Parthavia's foreign policies... it was a challenge. I only hoped we were covering and preparing to remedy every possible outcome, from trade embargos to full-scale war or invasion. 

Government work was exhausting.

At least I had Priya. Since our accidental meeting in the gardens almost two weeks ago, she had become my closest companion both in and out of the delegations. We met up in the library, compared notes and research, every other day at least. Her clever mind helped me out of more than a few technicality snares during that time.

But there was one glaring difference between my friendship with her and my relationships with any of my other female friends. When I talked with Yamuraiha, Pisti, or Princess Farrah, it felt no different than discussing things with Sinbad or Masrur or Drakon. But around Priya... even the very prospect of our library meetings had my heart flaring with a lightness I'd never really experienced before. 

For the first time in memory, a girl was the reason I was excited to get to work every morning.

And as the days went on, I was pretty sure it wasn't because we were merely friends.

~

I nonchalantly strode through the halls, poking my head into any room I thought she might be in. I ran into Spartos in the armory and when I casually asked where I could find the Dubaiyans, he turned a little red, looked away, and said he'd seen Morgiana and Masrur with them near the dining room. The ambassadors in their slightly scandalous attire made the poor man uncomfortable, so I didn't push him.

His tip led me to a small group relaxing at the end of the long table - Morgiana, Masrur, a couple other Dubaiyans... and Priya.

Halfway through the door, one hand on the knob, gazing out at a girl who hadn't even noticed I was there...  _ why in the world did my heartbeat quicken? _ "Hey, Priya," I said.

She turned her amethyst eyes on me. Heat expanded from my chest and I temporarily forgot my carefully worded lines. "Hey," she said with a little smile.

"I, uh, think I came up with a way around that Heredity Clause of Parthavia's. I wanted to run it by you before I propose it at the negotiations tomorrow." I pointed to the hall. "Could I steal you away for a minute?"

"Oh, yeah, certainly," she said, excusing herself and coming towards me. As we slipped out of direct line of sight around the door, I tactfully ignored Masrur's eyebrows, raising in intrigue. He was such a sucker for gossip.

We stepped into the corridor. There was no one else around. Suddenly, my confidence wavered. This was a mistake.  _ Oh, help… _

"So, what's this idea?" She leaned a little closer. "To be honest, I'm dying for inspiration."

Her tone was light. I felt horrible when I had to say, "Actually, that's... not the reason I pulled you away." She raised an eyebrow. "I still have no idea what to do about that clause, either. But that's not the point."

"So... why are we out here... alone, I might add?" Her hands were behind her back, but I could tell she was fidgeting them.

I rubbed my neck - suddenly hot under my headdress - and said, as casually as possible, "I... wanted to show you something."

An emotion crossed her face too fast to read, and in its wake, her amethyst eyes held suspicion. "Explain," she said warily.

My heart sank. I misinterpreted her actions. This was going downhill fast. "You said you loved how Sindria looks in the sunlight, correct?" I asked, fighting to recover. "There's one view I think you should see."

She was still on edge, looking like she was one word away from turning on her heel and walking back into the dining room.

"You don't trust me?"

"Well, you must admit, you're acting rather suspiciously," she said, "and I don't quite know you well enough yet to tell if you're lying. Your face is also a little flushed, so you might be drunk, for all I know. So no, I'm afraid I don't right now."

I winced. Her opinion of me was low. "I don't drink," I said weakly.

Priya flicked a hand, dismissing my comment. "Then why is your face so red?"

"W-well, what do you expect? You're beautiful, don't you know that?"

That shut her up. Her own dark cheeks went rosy, and she looked down to hide what seemed to be a... small smile? "Well," she said modestly, "... thank you. You're not too hard on the eyes yourself."

My heartbeat leaped into a gallop, but I kept my features relaxed and honest. "Will you come with me?" I asked. "Please."

She pursed her lips a little, glanced back at the dining room, considering. She finally turned back to me just as I thought my heart would burst from beating so fast.

"Alright."

My face lit up. "It's this way," I said, setting off with her beside me.

As we walked through the corridors, I kept my mind occupied and tried not to dwell on the thrilling fact that there was no one else around and Priya was inches away from me. We'd been in close proximity before, but there was always friends or other diplomats or librarians quietly shuffling around. There was no one now. Instead of dwelling on it, I thought things over.

Priya had said to Sinbad once that flattery didn't work on her. Not only did that memory bring up an unpleasant stab of irrational jealousy over my friend's advances, but it also raised questions.

I knew complimenting her would never get her to see eye to eye with me. I knew that. So why did I choose to do it anyway, in my panic? Because I wanted to tell her how I felt? How every time I look into her eyes, more and more often, I get a weak feeling in my chest and I want to kiss her badly…

Oh hell, that's it, isn't it. I realized with a shock that those thoughts had been crossing my mind terrifyingly often. I wanted to kiss her. Do more, even. This wasn't friendship.

This was a crush.

_ Forget it, _ I urged myself.  _ Think of something else _ . Flattery. If she claimed flattery was useless, then why did she suddenly change her mind when I told her she was pretty? Maybe she likes me like I like her. Maybe my plan had a shot at success. She  _ had  _ said she thought I was good-looking.

But Sinbad was the real woman magnet, and everyone knew it. How could she brush him off so cooly while practically melting over me? I knew women were complicated, but this... it just completely defied all sound logic.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Just outside. You'll see." We stepped out of an archway onto the west balcony, with a gentle breeze wafting through the columns that wrapped around this wing of the palace. Priya dropped her hands to her sides, all fidgeting forgotten.

Spread out before us was the downward slope of Sindria, encrusted in buildings, roads, plazas, and markets, terraced on the edges with fields of every shade of emerald and peridot. The sun setting before us just crested the cliffs and poured gilded golden light all over the country. Pink and scarlet were marbled in the sky, too. The shadows were soft and purple, gentle all around. The sun's fading light glittered and shimmered on the waves of the ocean beyond like diamond.

"Oh," she said, stepping to the banister between to columns and leaning over. Her hair and clothes matched the scene perfectly, like she was meant to be here. "Heaven's golden hall, this... this is unreal."

"It's pretty nice, huh?" I asked, standing next to her.

"Pretty nice? Are you kidding me? This is absolutely gorgeous," she breathed.

I smiled. A huge, warm feeling of happiness completely filled me up, standing there in love in the golden light.

We watched, our breath taken away, as the hues gently shifted to cornflower and cobalt and indigo and deepest amethyst as the sun sank into the ocean.

"Stunning," she said, shaking her head in awe.

"Do you trust me now?" I asked.

She grinned at me before turning back to the sunset. I couldn't tell if the pink on her cheeks was just reflected light... or a blush. "Yes," she said, "Wholeheartedly."

I leaned over to get into her peripheral vision. "May I ask... why were you so skittish before?"

The corners of her lips fell the tiniest bit. "It's nothing. I just... have a questionable history with young men leading me places alone."

"Oh." I dropped the subject. I felt bad for bringing it up now.

Priya put her hand on my shoulder briefly, just as she did back in the sparring pavilion. It felt like the most intimate gesture in the world at that moment. "Don't be embarrassed. You couldn't have known."

My neck and face were hot and my heart resumed its powerful pulse. Looking back at her,  considered slipping my hand around her waist and pulling her closer. I took my hand out of my sleeves - 

And froze. This girl was a diplomat from a foreign country. I couldn't do this. Instead, I dropped the offending hand on the banister.

My little finger overlapped hers at the smallest joint.

As soon as I realized it - which was immediately - my head snapped up at the same time hers did. We were staring at each other. And our faces were dangerously close together.

"Sorry," I said quietly. I didn't move my finger.

"For what?" Her voice was soft. The space between us was receding. Fast. I didn't know if I was leaning towards her, or she was leaning towards me, or we were both leaning towards each other. All I knew was that our lips were seconds away from touching.

My eyes widened at the last minute and I took a huge step back. "I-I'm sorry," I said, frantically smoothing out my robes. "I shouldn't even be here. You shouldn't be here with me, alone. Someone will see us, and you'll get in trouble with the princess, and people will start fabricating rumors and lies..."

"Ja'far," said Priya.

"No, I'm sorry, I never meant for this to go this far, I swear -"

She grabbed my hands, and I stilled, pinned by her gaze. "Ja'far," she said, gentler now, "I'm in love with you, too."

My mind screeched to a halt. I couldn't have heard her correctly. 

But no. "I've been falling more in love with you every day," she said. "I can't explain why, but you're kind and intelligent and clever and I admire that about you." She let go of my hands and took a couple steps back herself. "I'm... I'm sorry to burden you like this all of a sudden, but I felt like you deserved to know. No more secrets. Ever."

I couldn't believe it. I was stunned.

"I'm so sorry."

"No, I... Priya, I fell in love with you, too."

The look on her face was so pure, so raw. "Really?"

"Yes." I took her hands just as she had taken mine. "You're smart, honest, wonderful. Beautiful," I added. A thought crossed my mind, and I frowned. "But this can't work out. I don't want to hurt you. Your kinsmen are so touchy about honor and scandals. I can't be forward because if this turns into something..."  _ real _ , I almost said, "... something more, someone's bound to find out and nothing good will ever come of it."

"You're afraid for our reputations?"

I nodded.

She gave me a provocative smirk. "Then we just won't do anything that would otherwise compromise them."

My eyes widened and my heart struggled to catch up to the beat it skipped over. Did she ever have a good seductive smile. Dancer indeed. "People will still talk," I warned, my voice coming out as a bit of a squeak.

She just shook her head. "Let them. As long as nothing they claim is fact, the truth will always win out." There was nothing suggestive about her, just honest admiration. She raised her lashes to meet my eyes.

The feeling was magnetic. One second, there was electrified space between us. The next, absolutely none at all.

I almost gasped. My lips were on hers, pressing against them. My eyes were closed. I had no recollection of it happening. But I really, really didn't care. Her mouth opened just a bit, and I kissed her deeper.

Her hands skimmed the fabric of my sleeves as she brought her arms up and around my neck. My mouth moved against hers like I had no control. I touched her waist - her bare waist - and wrapped my arms around her back, pulling her flush to me. I couldn't get enough of her. Of us.

I don't know how long we kissed in the fading light of the sunset, but I know for certain that it ended the instant a third person said, "Miss Priya?"

Our arms dropped and we wrenched ourselves apart.

Aladdin, the twelve-year-old magi, stood just around the corner, jaw dropping. "Whoa, Mr.  _ Ja'far _ ? I saw the headdress, but your faces were so smushed together I thought you were just another subordinate -"

"What the hell are you doing here?" I exclaimed, humiliation burning on my face.

The magi huffed a laugh. "Defensive, huh?"

"Aladdin."

"Investigating the tons of pink Rukh over here. I mean, if you weren't out in the open like this, I'd swear you were having s-"

" _ Aladdin! _ " We chorused.

He put his hands up. "Fine, fine. What were you doing out here, anyway?"

"Uh," I said intelligently.

"I..." stammered Priya. There was fear - real fear - in her eyes.

"It's nothing," I blurted.

Aladdin smirked. "That looked pretty intense to be nothing. Seemed more like the foreplay of a one night st-"

I grabbed him and yanked him behind the corner, out of sight from anyone who might have been behind him. I cast a glance at Priya, who understood the desperation in my look enough to hurry away. She was gone in less than a second.

"Listen," I said, low and dead serious, to the magi, "you don't tell anyone about what you just saw. Anyone. Understand?"

He blinked. "What's so bad about it?"

"People will think that we're having an affair."

"Well, are you?"

"No!"

"Dang." At my dangerous assassin glare, he quickly said, "Why's that bad? Mr. Sinbad has them all the time with those pretty girls he hangs out with at festivals, doesn't he?"

"Oh, probably, but this situation is nothing like his," I clarified. "Dubaiya despises scandals and anything that would ruin one's reputation. Priya's people won't hesitate to put two and two together and get eight. We would both be in serious trouble. Like lose-our-jobs-and-future trouble."

Aladdin wasn't smiling anymore. "Wow. I... didn't know. It's that big a deal?"

"Unfortunately, it is."

"Okay, I won't tell," he said slowly, sincerely. "But if the consequences are that huge... be careful. For both your sakes."

I didn't have anything to say. I let the magi go, and he skittered back into the palace with a single glance over his shoulder.

Aladdin was right, I realized as I finally wrested control of my emotions. The kiss just minutes before was dangerously addictive. Given the right setting, it could so easily spiral into something far more intimate. I couldn't let that happen. I was taking a horrible risk, falling for Priya, the diplomat. 

I wished I could fall for Priya, the girl, without any strings attached.

_ Be careful. For both your sakes _ . That line scared me the most. I hadn't been thinking anything at all while we kissed. Not thinking had put me in a shameful position, and it could do it again in a heartbeat.

I could not ever let that happen again. It would only get easier to lose control and go somewhere from which there was no return.


	7. The Calm and the Storm - Priya

Distracted.

That's what I was, what both of us were, just four days before the end of Dubaiya's stay in Sindria, at that dinner. Distracted.

Just like any dinner, Ja'far and I sat together. Just like any dinner, we were deep in conversation. So deep, I didn't remember how many times a servant refilled my glass. By the time I started to feel the wine relaxing my mind, I could only guess how much I'd been distractedly consuming as I stared into those green eyes and talked and talked and talked. 

I stopped as soon as I realized it. Ja'far had done the same thing.

We were some of the last to leave the room. We walked side by side through the lamplit corridors. Neither of us spoke. Ja'far was deep in thought.

I nudged him with my elbow. "You're rather quiet," I said.

He shrugged halfheartedly. "Priya," he said, "what did you mean, that day we... that day you said you had a history of young men leading you places alone?"

I sighed. Maybe it was the wine, maybe just my trust in him, but I spoke freely. "The day Prince Karheem and his advisor, Tariq, came to the brothel I danced in," I explained, "there was an incident. I might have mentioned it before. Tariq... had been drinking. A lot. He grabbed me when I was trying to slip into my room after a performance."

We stopped walking, right before a wide alcove carved into the wall. A single oil lamp burned, lighting the space. Ja'far's eyes were squarely on me as I continued my story.

"I was fifteen, he was eighteen, and a lot stronger than I was." I could still smell the alcohol on him, how his clothes and breath reeked of it, see that glazed look in his eyes. I shivered. "He took me to a back room, even though I was just a dancer, not a paid whore. Left the door cracked open. Threw me down, threw himself down on top of me... but before he could do anything, Karheem slammed open the door, took one look at me, and dragged his friend off. Decked him upside the head. Out cold. Karheem felt awful that his friend had almost gotten me into such a mess, so he offered to send me to the palace - it was then that I realized he was the prince," I said. "I was shaking and scared, but he promised me I would be cared for there, kept safe by other women, and that, if I wanted, I could become a serving girl or librarian and never come back to the brothel. It was all I could do to dumbly nod yes."

Ja'far's dark green eyes were filled with extreme concern as I finished up the tale. I noticed his hands were on my arms, as if he wanted to pull me in and embrace me, but the anguish on his face emphasized not only his concern for my fifteen-year-old self, but his restraint around me.

"Priya," he said. 

I looked down and shook my head. "Anyway, the rest of what I told you remains true. I moved into the palace, read every day, worked my way up the ranks to become Farrah's advisor. Tariq, once he sobered up and realized - with Karheem's scolding - what he'd almost done, he avoided me. Gave me a wide berth. He only spoke to me for the first time after I found it in me to put the past behind us - since he was the prince's advisor and I the princess's, we couldn't spend the rest of our lives on cold terms." I huffed a little laugh. "That first conversation was almost nothing but apologies from him. It took him months to relax, and it took me even longer to fully trust him, but we eventually became rather good friends."

"After forcing himself on you?" The Sindrian advisor rubbed my arms with his thumbs, gently, worrying. Torchlight from the lamps along the wall glinted in his eyes.

"Yes. He was wasted that night, he couldn't remember a thing, and he hasn't touched a drop around me ever since. He never made any advances. It's been three years and I trust him."

Ja'far stopped, as if he realized that him touching me was too similar to Tariq's actions. He let go and his hands awkwardly came together. He averted his gaze, white hair falling in his eyes.

"Hey," I said, taking his hand, "You don't have to be like that."

"We should stop this."

I shook my head. "No," I said, "we don't have to. This isn't like Tariq at all. You're not like Tariq. I love you, and I know you."

Ja'far smiled. "I love you, too," he said, placing his hand on my cheek and bringing our foreheads closer until they touched. I closed my eyes and breathed him in - ink, parchment, and a hint of wine from dinner, still working its way through both of our veins. The hall was bathed in golden light from the lamp just above our heads on the wall, a pocket of light separate from the after-dinner darkness outside.

The other advisor's fingers trailed down my neck, painting a line of excitement across my shoulder, barely grazing my slender arm - 

Suddenly, I felt his fingertips on the hem of my silk shirt - and then on the exposed skin of my waist. Out of reflex, I grabbed his offending wrist.

He stopped immediately and stepped back, eyes wide. "I'm sorry," he breathed, "I didn't mean to... I wasn't implying... I won't do it again..." he looked genuinely apologetic and almost scared, like he'd committed some horrible deed and was waiting for a punishment.

But what he did wasn't horrible, it was... well, I didn't know what it was. But it made my heart race, made heat flush my cheeks, made me want him to do it again. More. I took a step forward, slipped my hand behind his neck, and kissed him gently.

That was the kind of reassurance he wanted. He quickly absorbed the kiss and cupped my face in his hands, leaning into it. We were pressed against the wall, now, our bodies touching from stomach to abdomen to thigh. My arms were around his neck, under the green linen of his headdress, tangling in the white silk of his hair.

I couldn't get enough. I craved more, more of the feel of him, everywhere. Heat grew from my core, filling me up, making me weak in the knees.

Ja'far's fingers reached back, between my hood and my hair, slowly easing the cool lightness away until it fluttered down my back. My magenta-purple, shoulder-length locks spilled out, and he dug his hands in, pulling me closer.

I couldn't think of anything except for him, before me. I didn't think of the fact that we were in a wide open place - not highly trafficked, but it was no secret passageway. I didn't think of what would happen if someone came by... if a servant, or one of the eight generals, or King Sinbad or Farrah... if anyone came across the two advisors of the diplomatic parties in such a position... I didn't think about it. I couldn't. Not while he was kissing me, hard, against the wall.

"Priya," he muttered against my mouth, breaking away only by a hair. Our lower bodies were still pressed together, his breath still fanning my face. I looked into his eyes, past his long dark lashes, as he said, breathing labored, "What are we doing?"

His forearms had pushed the voluminous sleeves of his robe almost up to his elbows, and they were now wrapped against my back, hands splayed across my shoulder blades. I had unknowingly let my hands descend to his lanky shoulders hidden only by his linen shirt. His crossover robe was pushed away, loosely draping against his left arm. My had was just above it, threatening to pull it down farther.

"Oh," I said belatedly, quietly. I took the offending hand and instead used it to pull the robe back to its original spot, patting and smoothing it down. He took his hands off my back and yanked down his sleeves, hiding his clasped hands in the fabric. I twisted my tousled hair into submission and pulled my hood up again.

In a second, we were back to being Sindrian and Dubaiyan diplomats, standing a little too close for protocol to deem appropriate. The lantern flame flickered.

Ja'far cleared his throat. "I," he mumbled, "I should..."

I lowered my gaze. "Part ways for the night."

"N-no."

"No?" I raised an eyebrow. My heart ached against my sternum. "Implying what, then?"

He went pink under his freckles. "I simply mean to offer to walk you to your chambers. The palace is large, and you might get lost."

After almost four weeks here, I was already perfectly accustomed to the layout of the palace, but I decided to play coy. "For a moment there, you sounded rather suggestive."

He removed his hand from the sleeves of his robe and took mine. "I would never try something like that if you did not want me to. You have my word."

"And I believe you," I said, nodding. Removing my hand from his, eliminating that little bit of skin-to-skin contact, was a physical effort. "Now," I said, "which direction?"

He balked. "Ah, um, you see..." he rubbed his neck. "I'm afraid I don't quite know which rooms you're staying in."

I couldn't help myself. I laughed. "There are so many of them, so many suites to keep track of..."

"You're completely adorable," I said. "Your chivalry overtakes your rationale."

"And your passion overtakes your diplomacy. I believe calling a fellow vassal 'adorable' is a breach of protocol."

"Oh, dear, I apologize. I hope you won't take offense.”

"You needn't worry." He smiled, the corners of his dark eyes sparkling with mirth.

I looked up and down the curving hall. We were alone. "We seem to have reached a predicament," I said. "If I simply cannot find my way back to my chambers, and you cannot help me, then what are we going to do?"

His carefree grin faded, and he looked down the hall to the right. He seemed to be caught on one particular door, staring at it, furrowing his brow as he calculated and weighed through the wine that was fogging our judgement. "We could..." he cast a tentative glance at me, "... go to my rooms. Just this once." Though his voice was steady, his eyebrows went up in a question.

I raised one eyebrow and let a small smirk flit by my lips. "Awfully risque of you, Ja'far."

"Forgive me. It was a ridiculous suggestion." He shook his head. "I won't force you."

The smirk grew larger, and a snaked an arm around his waist. "Who ever said I'd need forcing to take you up on that offer?"

The Sindrian vassal looked at me, touching shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip. He was facing the direction of the lamp, his face cast in golden light, the fire reflected in his dark green eyes. I watched color rise hot in his face. We looked at each other, reading each other's minds, feeling each other's passion.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spied a handful of glittering, yellow shapes flitting around us. As soon as I looked directly at it, they vanished.

"Rukh," said Ja'far.

"What do they mean?" I whispered.

"Can I... can I presume you want to go through with this?" he asked, clasping my hands against his chest.

"You can." I felt a surge of adrenaline, fueling the warm sensation in my core as if it could burst into flame.

He smiled, and I could tell the same feeling was sweeping him away as much as it was to me. He laughed softly, kissed my knuckles, and pulled me into a short embrace.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked, keeping hold of his waist.

"I love you," he murmured.

I brought my lips to his ear. "Prove it," I whispered, no more than a breath.

We walked down the concave corridor, holding each other tight. He opened the sliding door, let me through, cast one final glance around for anyone in the hall, and came in behind me. The door shut with barely a sound.

The room was only lit by the bright blue moonlight streaming through the latticed windows and balcony arch directly across from the door, on the other side of the square bed. The cool tile clicked underfoot.

There was a rustling of fabric, and I looked to the other advisor.

Ja'far had taken off his headdress and gold circlet, laying them on the desk in the corner. He met my eyes, swallowed, and we both paused. A breeze wafted in and touched the strands of his white hair, making them shift in time to the rustle of trees outside.

"This is what you wanted, right?" he asked quietly.

"Yes." I reached up and pulled my hood off, silk hissing against silk, fluttering to the floor in a moonlit pile. His robe and sash followed suit, pooling around his discarded shoes as he stepped closer. My dress was next, and my own shoes. When I stood straight again, feet buried in silk, we stood eye to eye.

He was breathing quickly, in time to the racing of my heart. We said nothing. He only wore his white shirt and loose trousers, tied around his narrow hips by a simple cord. The scant strip of cloth around my chest and knee-length under-skirt were the only things on me, but I didn't feel modest. I was excited.

Then, slowly, he brought the hem of his shirt up and over his head, pulled his arms out of the capped sleeves, and let it fall to the side.

He wasn't horribly muscular, but he was lean and fit. At any other time, I would have forbidden myself from taking a good look. I had no such restrictions now.

I placed both my hands on his stomach, on either side of his navel, stepped closer, moved them upwards, up his torso, across his clavicles, reaching his shoulders. They came to his neck, his jaw, and I held his face in my hands.

He'd followed their lazy path with his gaze, and now met my eyes. 

"No one'll know," I breathed while I drew my hands down to his shoulders, his back, his waistband. Everything was soft and hazy. Probably from drink.

"No one'll know," he repeated, his voice hoarse. I kissed him, our lips barely touching, then again and again. Harder. Faster.

Everything was blue moonlight and heavy breathing and sheets and tongues and hands. One by one we took away every layer of fabric keeping us apart until I couldn't see, hear, or taste - only feel with my body and mind, the heat enveloping us, cocooning us, and the Rukh swirling in the air under the sheets. At the height, when we could go no further and I felt like his touch was the only thing anchoring me to the world, our eyes met. 

Everything I felt, the sweeping pleasure, the passion, the love, was reciprocated in his eyes.


	8. Consequences - Ja'far

When I awoke the next morning with Priya beside me, though my memory was hazy, I knew exactly what happened last night. And I smiled.

Dinner, with perhaps a bit too much to drink. Our stroll. The kiss under the lantern. Looking for anyone in the hall - and finding no one. And then, the moonlight, the sheets, and the fire of what we did…

I almost laughed out loud, sitting up on the edge of my side of the bed, remembering the feeling of her in my arms. How could it be possible for one person to feel such emotions? And how was it possible that I, the honest and logical advisor to the king of Sindria, could have lost my virginity at last to…

To the…

I whirled around, the action making a headache I hadn't even realized I had flare with pain. I stared at the still-sleeping figure beside me and the color drained from my face, the realization hitting me in the chest, harder and harder - 

To the advisor to the Princess of Dubaiya.

I had just slept with a Dubaiyan diplomat.

_ No one will know _ . The words hit me, out of the fog of my memory. How could I. How  _ could  _ I have let those flimsy words, that empty promise, be my only justification for doing this. I'd been more drunk than I thought. All of a sudden, I was smack in the dead center of a full-on scandal. What had I told Sinbad? 'Show restraint.' And look at me, I had just willingly thrown restraint out the window and taken Priya Maashava to my bed.

I dropped my head in my hands, braced my elbows on my knees, squared my feet on the floor and agonized over the consequences in my mind. My heart was racing, I was breathing too fast, too hard. I needed to calm down. I needed to rationalize.

I couldn't do either one.

My happy, young-love feeling was long gone.  _ Breathe _ . I had quite literally screwed over both of our futures. 'No one will know', my ass - we couldn't keep this secret forever.  _ Breathe. You need to breathe _ . We would be caught. Shamed. I might - I'll probably - I  _ will  _ lose my job. Sinbad's hands would be tied over that matter. And it would be worse for Priya, so much worse. She might be stripped of her title, banished, even killed, for all I knew. And it would be my fault. All of it, my fault.  _ Breathe, Ja'far, breathe. _ .. I couldn't draw in oxygen for the world.

_ Scandal, scandal. _ That word circled my head like a taunting bird. And I was panicking. I had never panicked like this since I'd gotten used to Sinbad's ridiculous schemes and adventures, back when we were just kids.

_ Breathe _ . I couldn't. I couldn't force enough air into my lungs.

I needed to do something. I swallowed and looked up, searching for something - anything - else to focus on.

Midmorning sun shone through my windows.

"Oh,  _ shit _ ," I swore out loud. I had overslept by hours. The king's advisor, oversleeping while company was in the palace. 

I threw myself out of bed and grabbed my clothes, which were scattered on the floor next to Priya's. I pulled on my trousers - tying the fastest knot - then my white shirt, one shoe - and then promptly fell over in my rush to grab the other one. I hit my shoulder hard, letting out a sharp cry of pain.

"Ja'far?" Priya had woken up and was leaning against my headboard, tucking the sheet under her arms to cover herself. "What are you doing?"

She looked so innocent. The thought that her career could be over because of my actions was almost too much to bear. "Priya, I'm so sorry," I whispered, turning away in shame. "I did this, I did this to you... I..." I felt my eyes mist up. I couldn't finish.

She frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. "Ja'far..."

"We are so  _ horribly  _ screwed!" I exclaimed, balling my hands into fists and baring my clenched teeth. "This has escalated into a full-on scandal! Priya, one night,  _ one night  _ I let my guard down, and one single decision has just ended our futures."

The realization dawned on her, eyes going wide. She covered her mouth with her hands, clenching the sheet in place with her arms. "Gods in heaven's golden hall," she muttered, "What did we do? _ How did I let this happen _ ?"

"No one'll know, right?" I said through gritted teeth. Mocking us. Our naivete.

"God, How was I so stupid!?"

"It's my fault, all mine," I said, sitting next to her on the bed. A lump in my throat made it hard to keep my voice steady. "Last night, I baited you into making out in the hall.  _ I  _ was the one who put this idea into our heads. I offered you a place to sleep in my rooms. I let us go too far, too fast, with no time to consider, letting my mind bow to the will of my-"

"Shut up." She grabbed my shoulders and glared into my eyes. "Ja'far, you need to get that idea out of your head because I'm at just as much fault as you are here. You offered me countless chances to stop. You apologized after you suggested going to your rooms. And each time,  _ I  _ let us go on."

I knew she was telling the truth, but I didn't say that out loud. "What's going to happen to us?" I asked. She shook her head and bit her lip. "You know, don't you?"

"We need to keep this a complete secret," she said, "otherwise, our fates will depend on whoever hears it first."

"A complete secret," I repeated, feeling hollow.

"We don't have any other option. I'm sorry."

The sun was rising higher. I was getting more late with every passing minute. "I need to go," I said quietly.

"Then do. Please." She kept her amethyst eyes down. I tried to touch her cheek, just one last time, but she grabbed my wrist. "Please. Go."

A tear like a diamond fell and left a small, round mark on the sheet. I swallowed my own and stood. Pulled on my robe. Tied the sash. Put on my headdress with shaking hands. And I was out the door without so much as a glance, as if merely looking upon her would damn us both further.

~

By the sundial in the west courtyard, it was almost the tenth hour. I was three hours late. I ran down the halls.  _ One foot in front of the other _ . That's all I needed to think about.

"Mr. Ja'far?"

I stopped. Aladdin was coming out of a hall, a strange expression on his face.

Not now, I'm late," I said.

"Is it true?"

"What, is  _ what  _ true?" I didn't have time for this.

"That Miss Priya was in your room last night?"

My heart plummeted and I completely froze. How did this going-on-thirteen-year-old kid possibly know about it already? 

His huge blue eyes widened. "So, yes?"

I had him pinned against the wall in a second, my blades an inch from his neck. "How did you find out?" I warned in a quiet voice.

"Whoa, relax! I heard it from a maid when I was down in the kitchens. She claimed she went up to your room for housekeeping and the door was still closed, which was strange, and when she opened it she saw Princess Farrah's advisor sleeping next to you."

"She told this to the kitchen maids?" My hand was shaking.

"Yeah."

The triangular blade clattered to the floor and I let Aladdin go. It was already out. I was dead where I stood.

"I came to find you the minute I heard it," he said. "What are you going to do?"

"You need to help me," I said. "You need to get back down in the kitchens and suppress the rumors, at least until the delegates leave. I'll try to divert suspicions topside."

"Why, 'cause you'll get in huge trouble if Mr. Sinbad finds out?"

"Exactly."

"And you'll look like a hypocrite after the Kogyoku incident."

"Only this time, it's much worse, because I actually did..." I trailed off, realization hitting me afresh. Oh, gods, was I dead.

Aladdin's mouth quirked into a knowing smirk. "What's it like, making love to a girl?" he asked. My blade cracked into the wall right beside his chin, leaving the tiniest line of blood along his jaw. The magi's face was ashen. "Forget I asked."

"Good." I turned and took off for Sinbad's office.

~

"You finally made it," said Sinbad, grinning, as I appeared in the archway.

I was exhausted and angry and scared and in a really foul mood, but I sucked it up, ignored my pounding headache, and straightened. "I'm sorry, Sin."

"Did you oversleep?"

"Yes."

"How late did you stay up?"

"I lost track of the time."

"Were you working? Must have been a hell of a time, you never oversleep."

I mentally groaned. He didn't know the half of it. "It won't happen again," I assured him.  _ And not just the oversleeping, either _ .

"I know," said my friend, going back to the papers spread before him.

Masrur tipped his chin in my direction and mumbled, "Your shirt isn't buttoned."

I looked down. Shit. He was right. I quickly did it up. "Sorry. In my rush to limit my tardiness, I must have forgotten," I muttered back. I took my place behind the king with as much dignity as I could muster.

"You know," the Fanalis said, leaning so only I could hear, "The princess's advisor was nowhere to be found this morning."

"She was? I hope she's alright," I said calmly while my insides burned with shame.

"Perhaps she overslept as well."

"Perhaps." My barrier was breaking down. He was onto me.

"Perhaps you were working on the same thing, so late into the night."

I glared at him. "I hope you're not implying that anything indecent happened between us, are you?"

"You said it, not me." Masrur dropped the topic. He'd won.

Sinbad turned around. "What are you two mumbling about back there?" He looked at my face, then frowned. "Ja'far, are you okay? You're kind of pale. I mean, more than usual."

His attempt at a joke did nothing to ease my tension as I stopped calculating the likelihood that Masrur would tell anyone about what he'd just gleaned from me. I decided the chances were low. He barely spoke to anyone under normal circumstances. I was probably safe. For now. But I was cutting it real close. "I'm fine," I clipped out.

"You look kind of sick. You're not coming down with something, are you?"

"I'm fine."

"Hangover," suggested Masrur placidly.

"I was not drunk," I hissed, lying, as my headache gave another painful throb. The Fanalis flicked an eyebrow but didn't give any more comments.

"You're awfully prickly this morning," said Sin.

"Shut up, Sin."

He blinked. "Alright, what's going on?"

"Nothing."

"No, I can tell it's something. You can tell me."

"Nothing is wrong."

"Ja'far."

"Would you cut it out and leave me alone?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. "This isn't your concern, okay? So quit acting like you're entitled to know everything."

Sinbad, hurt, gave me a long look before giving in and turning back around. "I'm just trying to look out for my friend," he said carefully.

"Your friend can handle himself." And that was the end of that conversation. Gods. How was I ever going to keep everything under control for three whole days?

I could tell was in for a hell of a lot more stress before this visit was up.


	9. Oblivious - Priya

I lay on the bed for gods-know-how-long after Ja'far left, splayed out under the sheet, one arm cast over my eyes. I couldn't get my head around the gravity of what had happened.

No matter whose fault it was, the fact of the matter remained: I had just taken a lover. For the rest of my life, Ja'far would retain the label - the brand - of being the first man I'd given my body to. And I, the brand of being his.

How could I have convinced myself that just because we didn't want them to, no one would ever know about what we did? Half-hearted, half-drunk promises evaporated into nothing in the morning light.

I sat up and closed my eyes. It was clearly too late to do anything about what happened, so all I had to do was deal with the consequences. We would keep it a secret. A horrible, ugly, dirty secret.

Because if we didn't, I knew exactly what would happen.

Farrah once told me a story like this. Her mother - the current queen - had a friend once when she was our age, who lived in the palace. One day, it was discovered that the friend had slept with a member of the castle guard, defiling her body before her wedding night. The two were forced into marriage and both of them were fired.

That was the best case scenario. The rumor hadn't even spread much before the wedding. The king was one of the first to hear.

But here, the Dubaiyan diplomats were guests in a foreign country. The short time span, the disturbance of the host's peace, the fact that Ja'far and I represented both countries, and a thousand and one other factors would push the shame on Dubaiya to the maximum. The best that could happen was Ja'far and I getting married immediately, then banished from my homeland. The worse... I shuddered to consider it. The worst would depend on how long the rumor festered in the grapevine, how many horrible embellishments were made to the story. The absolute worst case would see Ja'far killed by our guard for dirtying me, and me killed for allowing it to happen.

Tears crawled down my face, tucking under my chin. I shook my head. Worst case. That was the worst case. Not guaranteed to happen.

I looked around the room.  _ Focus. It's very late in the morning and you're only growing the suspicion by staying in here _ . I slunk out from under the sheet and began dressing myself.

I held my hood between my fingers, the last thing I needed to put on.

Just last night, the Sindrian vassal had pushed it back as we kissed in the hall. I had cast it to the floor minutes later as we prepared for bed…

_ Stop _ . I tucked my hair under the hood. I couldn't do this. My sole purpose now was to protect myself, and the boy I loved. I listened at the door to make sure no one was in the hall before I opened it, slipping out of the bedchamber and back into reality.

~

"Where have you been? I was worried sick," said Farrah, sitting before the mirror in the receiving chamber of her own rooms and brushing her long, black hair.

I bowed my head. "I woke early this morning and went down to the library to read. I lost track of the time."

"Oh, that's alright," smiled the princess. "You're found, now. Woke early, huh?"

"Yes."

She chuckled and began pulling her hair into a high, tight tail at the top of her head. "That's good. King Sinbad's advisor overslept this morning, and with both of you gone, there were some scandalous ideas going around at breakfast."

"That must have been embarrassing," I said plainly. Internally, I was screaming. "I'm sorry if I caused you any humiliation."

"Oh, think nothing of it, sweetie. I knew my Priya is too level-headed to do anything like that. I dispelled them quickly." Farrah secured the tail with and jeweled tie, then rose, grabbing a few papers. "Now, I must go deliver these to Karheem on the ship for reviewing. That little magic-fearing shrimp has a right to know the outcomes of the Alliance, much to my everlasting chagrin."

"Don't start too big of a fight with him," I said automatically, my mind elsewhere.

She only smirked. "I'll only scuff him up a little for his isolation and rudeness this whole trip. It'll be good for his character." And then she was gone, her words hanging in the air.

_ My Priya is too level-headed to do anything like that _ . I cringed.

If only she knew.


	10. Trust - Ja'far

"Masrur, could I have a word alone with Ja'far?"

Three days had passed. Three days since I made that decision, yet the secret was still well contained. Aladdin had been doing a good job in the kitchens, somehow convincing the maids that they had other things to talk about besides the scandal of the year. The sun had just set, but the sky was still light outside. I was in the small office library - really only a record-filing room - organizing maps when I heard Sinbad set the trap in the main room.

The vellum scrolls slipped out of my arms. I was dead. My heart began beating painfully in my chest.  _ Breathe _ .

Masrur's armored sandals clipped out of the office.

"Ja'far, can I talk to you?"

"Just a second," I said, putting the maps away. I took a deep breath and slowly strode to the guillotine. 

The King of Sindria and the Seven Seas Alliance was sitting behind his desk, fingers steepled under his chin. I folded my hands in my sleeved, tipped up my chin, and put on a confident, relaxed facade.

"What do you want to talk about?" I could do this.

My friend's golden eyes glimmered. "Look, I'm going to cut to the chase," he said. "I know you slept with Priya."

_ Aladdin _ . I was going to kill that magi the next time I saw him. Good thing I was prepared for the accusation, even if it still made my insides turn to ice. Maybe I could pull this off. I blinked and let an offended glare overtake my features. "Excuse me?" I said, raising my eyebrows.

"No, no, don't give me that. You can't guilt me into letting you off the hook. My informant was too close to the situation."

I opened my mouth, feigning outraged speechlessness.

Sin sighed. "Please don't make this harder on yourself. Just admit it. I noticed you and her making eyes at each other over the dinner table myself, and that one day you both went missing overnight..." he spread his arms. "The evidence is stacked against you."

I set my jaw. "How could you do this?" I growled. Inside, I was churning with guilt. "How could you come up with such an outrageous accusation against one of your oldest friends? I am appalled by you, Sinbad."

"Ja'far..." Sin muttered, his expression sliding into pity.

"No. I don't think you fully grasp what you're saying. The seriousness of the shame you're implying is astronomical. You're claiming I dishonored a young woman I've known for little more than a month. Do you actually think I'd be so irrational?"

The king bit his lip. I was getting through.

"Have I ever done anything remotely on par to this?" He went to hesitantly answer in the negative, but I went on. "Don't you think this is a major breach of personality here?"

"Well, yes, I admit I was surprised, but-"

"But you'd trust the word of your anonymous informant over mine?" I pointed a hand at the door. "And that morning I overslept. You heard Priya - she'd woken up early and gone down to the library. Are you saying she lied to the crown princess of Dubaiya  _ and  _ the king of Sindria?"

"Well... yes. Putting it bluntly, yes. That's exactly what I'm saying."

I hardened my glare and huffed. He didn't want to show it, but I could see in his expression that he was starting to doubt the validity of the claim. I'd planned this encounter far too well - the lies came too naturally. I hated guilt-tripping my friend. "Honestly, I'm disgusted in you. I can't believe you'd take the word of a twelve-year-old over mine, especially on a topic so critical."

Sinbad smiled sadly.

My heart dropped. Had I missed something? Oh, gods, did I undermine my whole argument somehow? "Why are you smiling? This isn't a joke," I said warily.

"Gotcha."

_ Shit _ . "What are you talking about?"

"I never  _ said  _ Aladdin told me about it."

I had nothing to say. I was caught in my own web. I dropped the false outrage - it wouldn't do me any good now.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Ja'far?"

Humiliated, I dropped to one knee and bowed my head low so I wouldn't have to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry," I choked, mentally shunning myself for the sudden waver in my voice. "I deserve any punishment you give me. I have no excuse."

Sin nodded. "What's your side of the story?"

I admired his maturity on the topic. Knowing my friend, he could have easily added in a comment along the lines of 'leave out details, please'. "It only happened once, I swear," I said quietly. "We took a stroll after dinner through the palace three days ago... I don't know how we let it happen, we might have drunk too much earlier, but we ended up by my room and... it just happened." I shook my head, face blooming with heat. "There wasn't any foul play, or any of that. Please trust me on this, if nothing else."

"Alright." He stood from his chair. "See, I trust you, now, because you were honest with me. Don't think I haven't learned how you act when you're keeping secrets after all these years." I pressed my lips together, bracing against the tears that were starting to brim. "But, quite honestly, I want to congratulate you on keeping this quiet for so long. You did well."

I snorted. 

"Seeing as the diplomats are leaving tomorrow, there's really nothing I can do to keep it down any more than you already have-"

"Wait, what?" I asked, looking up. "You're... you're not going to, you know, punish me? Take away my title, my position in your government, anything?"

Sin frowned. "For what?" he asked. "Taking a girl to bed? I'm one to talk."

"Sin, it's a crime in Dubaiya," I said.

"Not in Sindria, it isn't, and thank the gods for that."

"You know that's beside the point. Do you have any idea what I did to her?" I swallowed. "What's going to happen to her - to both of us - if someone finds out?"

His expression softened, and he didn't speak for a couple moment as he studied the anguish that was no doubt on my face. "Do you love her?" he asked.

I nodded slowly. "Yes. I... I'm in love with her."

"Then I'm going to help you, whether it breaks Dubaiyan law or not. You made a mistake. The stress you're clearly under is punishment enough, in my opinion."

He smiled warmly. He was the best friend I ever had. "Thank you," I whispered.

"I guess it'll be a relief once the diplomats leave and you won't have to deal with the secrecy anymore, won't it?"

"Of course." But I hesitated. "But, at the same time, I'll have to say goodbye to Priya. And I might... might never see her again. I don't want that." Tears began rolling freely down my face. I tucked my hands into their sleeves and tried to blot them away. "I would have married her, you know? If it got out. In an instant, I would have-"

"Ja'far."

I looked up, vision edged in brimming tears. Sinbad held his hand out to me, as he always did when I was upset.

"Sin..." I took it, let him pull me to standing, but I wasn't ready to just yet. I collapsed into my best friend's arms, sobbing. Harder, harder, my cries tearing my throat.

And he just supported me. "It'll be okay," he comforted me. "We'll get through this."

I don't know how long we stood there, riding out my mental breakdown, but once I calmed down a little, Sinbad patted my shoulder to get my attention. "You know," he said, "It doesn't have to be goodbye for good. There is a way you two could keep in touch..."

I listened.


	11. The Tapestry - Priya

"It's called an Eye of the Rukh," he murmured, slipping the magic tool into my palm as we shook hands. "I have its twin. It'll let us communicate, and see each other until we meet again."

Deftly, I hid it in a secret pocket in the folds of my skirt. "Thank you." I refused to meet his eyes. I had to stay diplomatic. We had evaded suspicion - and each other - for four days and I would not ruin it now.

But I felt terrible. It physically hurt.

"I'm sorry we have to part on such an anxious note..." he whispered, barely audible. His fingertips lingered on mine as we tried to end the handshake.

I pulled my hand away, and he closed his fingers in the air where it used to be. My eyes met his with a look that said one thing:  _ you are being too conspicuous _ . "Don't be. I had a wonderful time here." I said that at a normal volume, a casual tone, with a forced smile. Despite the awful risk, I didn't want to leave him any more than he too-clearly did.

He caught my hint and attempted to clean up his act. "That's good to hear." His smile was sad.  _ He's an emotional wreck. _

I folded my hands in front of me. "Well... I'm glad I met you."

"Likewise." He bowed at the waist. "... I assume that this is... goodbye, Miss Priya."

I almost gave into the grief that was mounting in my chest. When was the last time he called me that? It felt like ages ago. "Yes... Goodbye, Mr. Ja'far."

I couldn't bear to see whatever defeated expression would undoubtedly be on his face when he rose from his bow, so I turned... and walked away.

Putting my emotion while doing so into words... it felt like Ja'far and I were two ends of the same beautiful tapestry, and someone was slowly ripping it down the middle, threads pulling taut in a vain effort to hold us together before snapping. With each step, another tug apart. Again. Again. Something lovely slowly being destroyed, bit by bit.

I caught up with Farrah and said my formal goodbyes to the rest of the eight generals and King Sinbad. The latter kissed both our hands in farewell.

As he rose from kissing mine, he said in a low whisper, "He really does love you."

I fought back a gasp and a shocked expression. King Sinbad just smiled and waved like nothing had happened.

Farrah almost had to drag me up the gangplank of the ship. He knew. King Sinbad knew. He had to know everything. There was an understanding in his eyes that could not have come from anything else. He knew what we did... but he didn't say anything to our people. Was he trying to protect his friend? Or even me, his friend's lover?

The crewmen on the ship kicked the gangplank away and unfurled the sails. And we were underway. A brand-new document declaring Dubaiya's acceptance into the Seven Seas Alliance in our hands... and a little magic orb in my possession.

I leaned against the starboard rail, not looking at anything as we sailed under the archway at the far end of the wide harbor, lost in my own miserable thoughts.

"Priya, sweetie, are you okay? You look very melancholy." Farrah nudged me.

I shrugged. "I'm just going to miss Sindria."  _ And its king's advisor as well _ .

"So will I. Those festivals were something else, weren't they?"

"Yes." Absentmindedly, I rubbed a thumb over the smooth surface of the magic tool in my pocket.

My friend noticed. "What's that?" she smiled.

I pulled it out and rolled it between my fingers. "Oh, this is just... just a souvenir."

"It's so beautiful," she said, "And sparkly! Where did you get it?"

"Yamuraiha," I lied, choosing the first name that came to mind.

"The Magnostadt witch!?" The two of us whirled around. Prince Karheem stood wide eyed, frozen in place, pointing an outraged finger at the Eye of the Rukh.

"No," I said, pulling it close to my chest.

"Karheem, shut up," snapped Farrah.

The superstitious prince came very close. "Why's it sparkly?" he panicked. "What does it do?"

"It doesn't do anything," I said, "It's just pretty." This was bad. Karheem's phobia of Black Rukh and tendency to jump to astronomical conclusions was going to make for a tense trip home.

"Uh-huh, and who told you that, hm? The witch?"

Farrah sneered at her twin brother. "Don't be rude, you insatiable conspiracy-hunting troglodyte."

He turned to his sister, who was glaring him down like she was twenty years older than him instead of twenty minutes. "Aha," he said, slightly manic, "You like laughing at my caution, but this time you have to admit that sparkly thing is suspicious."

"You're being ridiculous. Leave her alone."

"Please, Karheem, just let it go," I said.

"No. That witch is from Magnostadt. You know what happened there just recently. She probably cursed it. That thing has got to be full of Black Rukh. Who knows what it could do to us?" Suddenly, he snatched the orb out of my hand.

"Karheem!"

"Are you trying to curse us all? We still have Parthavia breathing down our necks, we can't afford any more problems!" 

And he threw it overboard.

" _ NO! _ "

I threw myself at the rail and reached out as far as I could, but it was already too late. It winked once at the top of its trajectory in a blink of flittering Rukh before plunking beneath the waves. Gone.

Shock. Utter shock. My hands trembled as I stood petrified. That Eye was my only hope of seeing Ja'far again. I couldn't comprehend the fact that our strained conversation on the docks was our last. I had half a heart to plead the ship's captain to turn around, but to what end?

There was nothing I could do now that wouldn't give me away.

So I stood petrified.

A slap behind me. Farrah had struck her brother across the face - picking a fight, as per usual. "What the hell is your problem? That was her souvenir!"

"I'm sorry, I was removing a potential threat! You know better than me that we have enough on our plate to worry about without doomsday-bringing Magnostadt magic floating around!"

"You're insane. If you actually got  _ out  _ for once in your life, maybe you'd learn to recognize a harmless piece of sparkly glass without your mind immediately going to armageddon!"

I didn't hear them. The tapestry had been given the final tug and lay in tatters on the ground. I sank to my knees.

My whirlwind romance overseas had finally come to an end. As it should.

I just didn't expect it to hurt so much.


	12. Shattered - Ja'far

" _ NO! _ "

I had stayed on the docks with the rest of the eight generals. I wasn't ready to leave. I was still standing there when the Eye of the Rukh sailed over the edge of the ship to drop into the sea.

I fell against a lamp-post as I stared at the ship. I must have been seeing things. That couldn't have been the little orb. A trick of the light, that was all.

Except I knew deep down that it wasn't.

"Ja'far?" Sinbad reached out for me. I just sank to my knees, out of reach.

"It's gone," I whispered, unable to tear my gaze from the receding ship. The fragile barrier I'd tried to keep standing collapsed. Unsurprisingly, the tears just under the surface broke free. "It's over. She threw it."

She must have. There was no explanation. She must have tossed it away. Did she not want to talk again? See me again? Was she humiliated by me, what I was to her now? Was she trying to erase this visir from her memory? Was she trying to save her reputation?

Or maybe... it went deeper. Maybe she didn't love me anymore.

Maybe she never did.

She told me she loved me, and I believed her. Was I wrong? Did she lie, or did her feelings change after that night? Did I really know her at all? Was it a mistake to go so far?

Thinking about it in that way, it made perfect, agonizing sense.  _ Of course _ it was a mistake. I should have stopped us both. I should have listened to myself. Why didn't I?

Stupid, so stupid, so stupid, why didn't I put the pieces together sooner? She was ridiculously smart. She used to work in a brothel, she knew how to put men at ease

She was always the first one to make a move. And she barely spoke to me just now on the docks. After she'd gotten what she wanted.

She seduced me and left me to die.

With that final realization, I couldn't do anything but trap myself in an endless whirl of horrible thoughts. I trusted her. I loved her. I made the ultimate sacrifice to her. I risked my status, my reputation, my life for her. And this was how she repaid me. I was a fool.

"How could I fall for it? How could I be so irrational?" I whispered to no one, through gritted teeth. Sinbad murmured my name, but he didn't move.

The eight generals stared in bewildered silence. I didn't care. I didn't care anymore. Yamuraiha went to come over to me, but Aladdin snagged her sleeve. "No, Yam," he said, "this isn't something magic can fix."

I didn't bother trying to tell myself to breathe because I knew it wouldn't do any good. I buried my face in my hands and let my silent sobs wrack my body.

~

I stayed on the dock for the rest of the afternoon, though everyone else soon left. As the sun set on the ocean, several of them came down to try to get me to go back to the palace, but I ignored them all. Drakon and Hinahoho tried to take me by force.

A quick warning shock burst of my household vessel made them leave. I wasn't going anywhere until I was ready. And I didn't think I would be ready for a long time.

I sat on the edge of the pier, bare feet just touching the waves, loose hair blocking out the rising moon from my eyes. There was an aching hollow in my chest where my heart used to be and dried tears crisp on my cheekbones.

"Ja'far."

I stiffened. Sinbad had come down earlier, but even he failed to persuade me to leave. However, the woman behind me very easily could... if I hadn’t been feeling petty and stubborn at that moment. "Go away," I sniffed. My throat was raw from crying, even though I'd stopped hours ago.

"I am not leaving unless you're coming with me," said Rurumu, the Imuchakk warrior's wife.

I huffed. That's what they'd all said.

After several minutes, the Imuchakk woman spoke again. "Can you tell me what's wrong? Everyone is worried about you."

"What makes you think I'd tell you, if I haven't told anyone else?" I snapped. "Mind your own rutting business."

_ Bam _ . The side of her hand came down on my head in a chop. "Language," was all she said.

"Would you cut it out? I'm not a kid anymore!" I rubbed my smarting head and shot a glare over my shoulder.

Her face, framed with thick, light blue braids, was expressionless. "You're right. You're not. So stop acting like one and tell me what this is all about."

"No." I turned fully around to snarl at her. "I'm not going to tell you anything. And you can let everyone back at the palace know that, too, because I don't want to talk to  _ anyone _ .  _ Especially  _ you. You're happy and married with kids and in love and your heart never got broken into a thousand and one pieces. You don't get it and you never have." I whirled away. "So get the  _ hell  _ away from me."

Silence. I heard her sit down on the dock next to me, and I tactfully looked the other way. She placed a hand on her shoulder. "Is this about a girl?" she asked quietly.

My anger was gone, fizzled out, and I was back to an empty shell. I was too exhausted to resist. I nodded.

"From Dubaiya, I assume?" Another hesitant nod. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry. Have you been crying all this time?"

"No. I have nothing left. I feel so... empty." I brought my knees up and hugged them to my chest. "I don't know what to do. I thought she loved me."

She rubbed my shoulder with her thumb and I buried my head in my arms, sighing.

"You're brokenhearted," she said consolingly. "I'm sorry. And I'm sorry I can't make the pain go away."

"You don't have to. I deserve it." My voice was muffled in my robe.

"Of course you don't. You shouldn't tell yourself that, or you'll never feel better."

I didn't respond. I couldn't explain why I deserved to feel so bad to her. I'd slept with an unmarried young lady from Dubaiya before her wedding night. It was a capital offense. I deserved much worse, in fact. Not to mention, the pain was a form of personal punishment for myself for falling for her trap.

But I couldn't tell her any of that. Rurumu had taught me how to read, write, and calculate numbers once I left the Sham Lash. She was like a mother to me.

I couldn't tell her what I did.

"Why don't you come back to the palace? You'll feel better if you're around your friends," she said.

I raised my head so only my eyes peeked up and glared. "If I go back, they'll all ask questions and try to talk to me."

She frowned disapprovingly and said, "Well, you did make a scene earlier."

"Shut up."

"Are you going to pout, now?"

"Shut  _ up _ ." I covered my head, expecting another chop. None came. Rurumu just sighed.

A long silence ensued. Waves lapped against the pier and the ships tied to it. Mooring lines squeaked and groaned softly.

"Tell me about her."

I looked up, surprised at the break in night noises. "Huh?"

The Imuchakk women smiled. "Tell me about this Dubaiya girl. Who was she? What was she like?"

I shifted uneasily and said, "I thought she was honest, but I was wrong. She used that brilliant, political mind of hers to lure me into a false sense of security."

"Princess Farrah's advisor, Priya."

"Y-yes," I blinked. "How'd you know?"

She smiled and said, "I knew you seemed to seek her out. And she was by far the cleverest diplomat I'd ever seen." Her grin took on a knowing edge. "You looked like you had a hard time taking your eyes off her."

"Well, sure," I blushed. "She was pretty. Her eyes were fascinating, like amethysts. She was just... really beautiful."

"I'm sure her clothes - or rather, lack thereof, in certain places - certainly helped."

Mortification washed over me. "What are you implying?" I stammered. "I'm not Sinbad. That's not why I fell in love."

"I'm just teasing you. Of course not." She prodded me gently. "However, I wouldn't go throwing poor Sinbad under the wagon like that."

"Poor Sinbad? Give me a break. He's the womanizer, everyone knows it. I only hope  _ I  _ can retain some dignity, on the other hand."

Rurumu's smile faded. "Retain?"

_ Shit _ . Instead of smoothly covering it up, my war-torn brain completely froze, and I locked my gaze on her out of the corner of my eye. Breathe. I forced myself to calm down.

She seemed to let it go. "Can I ask... what went wrong?"

I scoffed, a delayed recovery. "I thought she felt the same way about me that I felt about her. But clearly, she didn't. She said she was in love with me. Why would she lie, why would she do that?" I flopped over backwards, arms splayed. "After all we did, all we went through, I find out she lied."

"Baby," she murmured.

I felt like I should cry, but I had no tears left. Instead, I shut out the world, trying not to think about anything at all.

"I'm sorry. I know it hurts." She patted my arm in her motherly way that didn't feel patronizing at all. "At least come back to the palace and lie down in your own bed. You won't have to talk to anyone, I promise, and you're only going to catch cold out here."

It was chilly on the docks, and my exhausted body screamed for a bunch of pillows and a feather mattress. Lying against the hard wooden planks, I slowly nodded. Sleep meant escape from my heartbreak.

Rurumu gave me a smile. "Alright." She stood up and bent down to hold a hand out to me. "Come on."

She'd put the thought of sleep into my mind. My muscles refused to work. I just sighed.

"Come on, Ja'far."

"I don't want to move."

She harrumphed with a hint of amusement. "Have it your way," she said, "But don't expect to count on my empathy all the time, now."

Gently, the Imuchakk woman slipped her arms behind my back and under my knees. I felt a sensation of weightlessness, and then her body heat against me. She walked, smooth and rhythmic.

She carried me like that all the way back. I was asleep as soon as I was set down on my bed.


	13. Last Straw - Sinbad

I am Sinbad, King of Sindria. It's been almost a month since Princess Farrah and her entourage left our shores, which would make it almost a month since my best friend's heart was broken badly, and just over a month since he made the decision that this whole mess. Not that I could blame him. But he'd taken it extra hard and still hadn't fully recovered, and I was still worried about him. I'd never seen him so upset and so... not himself.

~

It was dinner. I chatted with seven of the eight generals at the huge, rectangular banquet table. It was business as usual - Yamuraiha and Sharrkan were arguing across the table, Pisti was talking Spartos' ear off, and Hinahoho was reminding his kids not to spear their food. Ja'far was silently eating to my left, not even looking up.

At least he started finishing his meals.

The shouting from the witch and the swordsman reached a fever pitch, drowning out all other conversation.

"Don't lecture me!" yelled Sharrkan, standing up and bracing his hands on the table. "You've never had an intimate night in your life!"

The blue-haired woman glared and pointed a finger at him. "You say that like it's a crime!"

"You need to get  _ out  _ more, woman."

"Careful, Sharrkan, or someone will start to think you care."

"The only thing I'm pissed at is a hot lady like you going to waste, holed up in the palace all day! You don't even accompany Sinbad on diplomatic missions!"

I waved a hand. "Hey, don't drag me into this," I said lightly.

They ignored me. " _ Maybe _ ," spat Yamuraiha, "the reason I don't go is because I am, as you so bluntly put it, a 'hot lady', and I don't want to run into objectifying creeps like you and be taken advantage of in a foreign country!"

"Oh, I'm a  _ creep  _ now, am I, you old hermit?"

"You've always been a creep, don't give me that. You may not give a damn about your own dignity, but I for one would like to keep my reputation intact, thank you very much."

Something made a connection in my brain, and I realized this conversation was listing dangerously towards some things that happened a month ago. I stole a glance at Ja'far. His face was still down, but his fingers were clenched around his fork and his knuckles were white.

"Uh, guys, can you maybe continue this later?" I asked.

"Can I leave?" groaned Masrur.

"There are children here!" exclaimed Rurumu, silencing the many questions babbling from her kids and covering their ears.

The two warring generals were still going at it. "You don't even know what you're talking about!" shouted Sharrkan.

"And I happen to be perfectly fine with that!"

" _ Why!? _ "

"Why do you care?"

"I don't. You know what? I don't care anymore. Not about you, and certainly not about me and my rep. So you can quit lecturing me and let me live my life."

I relaxed. Maybe this war was over.

Yam wasn't done. "That is  _ the worst _ decision I ever heard. You  _ should  _ care. Because if you don't, and you keep doing what you're doing, someday, you're gonna screw the wrong girl and find yourself neck deep in trouble, Mr. Chick Magnet. Your reputation will be ruined, your future will be compromised, and your cushy life will be changed forever because of some ridiculous  _ scandal! _ "

There was a tremendous crash from my left that made everyone jump. Ja'far had slammed his hands down on the table and shoved away his chair as he shot to his feet. I noticed his shoulders trembling before he turned on his heel and stalked out of the room.

Everyone was silent.

"What the hell..." muttered Sharrkan, still staring wide-eyed at the door.

The Imuchakk kids started jabbering. "What happened?" "Why did Brother leave?" "He looked mad." "Is he okay?" "I think he looked hurt." "Maybe the yelling got on his nerves." "Well, I don't blame him. It was annoying me, too." "Mama, is Brother okay?"

Rurumu tore her worried expression from the door and looked to me, at the head of the table. Before I knew it, everyone's gazes had locked onto mine. I blinked, then sighed, got up, and followed him out.

I walked down the hall. I didn't want to call his name out, since he was most likely in a volatile upset state and could possibly kill me. You never know.

I came to the courtyard. Ja'far was leaning against a pillar, his back to me, staring out at nothing. His fingers clutched at the stone like it was a lifeline.

"I finally thought you were done with the dramatics," I said, crossing my arms.

My friend turned half of a distraught glare on me. "Screw off, Sinbad."

"You need to get past this. You're almost nineteen."

"I  _ said  _ screw  _ off _ . I'll be fine in an... hour. Maybe."

I narrowed my eyes. "Fine. But I hope you know that everyone in that dining room is now openly worried about you."

"Maybe they should have thoughta that before going and bringing all that up."

Something in his childish defiance struck a chord. "Ja'far," I said slowly, "who in that room knows what happened?"

He paused, his glare softening just a bit. "You. Masrur." I waited for more names. None came.

"Just us?" I asked.

"Rurumu knows I fell in love with Priya..."

"So you told her about that night, too?"

"I left that part out."

"Ja'far!"

"Well, what do you expect!? She's like my  _ mother! _ "

"Alright, alright. But did you really expect any of the rest of them to suddenly stop talking about anything lewd, particularly Sharrkan? Did you expect them to keep that out of their conversations near you?" He didn't say anything. "How do you expect them to know that if you never told them?"

"I just..." his voice was quiet, "... hoped they wouldn't. That they'd pick up on something."

"Infer that you had an affair? You're the last person out of all eight generals they'd think would do that."

"Please don't say that so loud." His eyes started to glisten, and he bit his lip. "I didn't know what to do."

My heart went out to him. With that expression on his face, he looked exactly like he did as a kid assassin. I put a hand on his shoulder and embraced him.

This time, he didn't dissolve into tears like he had before. After letting himself be held for a moment, he pushed away. "You have to quit hugging me. You'll ruin what shreds of a reputation I still have."

I chuckled. "Now, listen. I think there's a roomful of people who deserve an explanation."

He nodded. "I... I know. I'll tell them."

"Tonight, Ja'far."

"Tonight."

"And Rurumu stays to hear the whole story."

He groaned.


	14. Confession - Ja'far

I hesitated just beyond the archway of the great hall. Sinbad stood firm behind me. I had to do this. My friends deserved to know.

I walked in.

Every single head instantly trained my way. My footsteps felt louder than natural in the dead-quiet room. I stopped behind my chair but didn't sit down.

"I want to apologize," I said, flicking my eyes to Sinbad. He took up a place beside me and nodded. I kept my gaze on my hands. "I..." I said, "I haven't been myself recently, and I think... you all should know why."

Yamuraiha spoke gently. "Okay," she said, "so what's going on?"

I set my jaw. "It's... not something that's happening now. It already happened. But I'm still thinking about it. All the time."

"What you're telling us," said Rurumu, "did it happen a month ago?"

She thought she knew. She had no idea. The last thing I wanted was to see the Imuchakk woman's disappointment, but I had no choice. I dumbly nodded yes.

The atmosphere shifted. Everyone knew it - a month ago meant the Dubaiya negotiations. And my breakdown on the docks.

"It's still bothering you?" asked Rurumu.

"What, is  _ what  _ bothering him?" asked Sharrkan. "Do you know already?"

I interjected before she could speak. "No," I said, meeting their eyes for the first time. "She doesn't. She doesn't know. Rurumu, I'm sorry, but I... I didn't tell you everything."

Her gentle eyes began to harden and her eyebrows lowered, darkening her features.

There was no going back now. I began to speak. And didn't stop. "During the negotiations... I spent a lot of time with Princess Farrah's advisor. Priya. That was because... well, first off, we were partners, but also because... I loved her. And I know, I'm the last person you'd expect would fall in love, but I did, and I was really, really happy."

"Aw," said Pisti.

"But..." I stopped cold. The truth was like a stone in my chest and I couldn't get the words past. "I... we..." I couldn't say it. "W-we..."

Sinbad's hand rested on my shoulder. Soothing. Encouraging.

"We went too far." It rolled out and I hung my head.

Silence.

"No way," muttered Sharrkan. "No way. You?"

Drakon's eyes were widening in shock. "You mean you-"

"Had an affair. Slept with her. Yes. Yes I did. I did it, the very thing that I constantly harass Sin about, yes,  _ I slept with a goddamn foreign ambassador _ ." I covered my burning face. "And I'm so rutting sorry I ever did."

I could feel every identical stare from everyone before me, like they were ripping me apart with their eyes.

"And weren't they, like, super conservative about celibacy and stuff like that?" said Sharrkan. "God damn, Ja'far."

"WELL, DON'T YOU THINK I RUTTING KNOW THAT ALREADY, SHARRKAN?" I cried. "Who the  _ hell  _ do you think I am?  _ Look  _ at me, do I look like I'm proud of it?" My breathing became choppy and uneven. "Because I had an affair with a Dubaiyan diplomat and _ I rutting got away with it _ . Do you think I'm proud of that!?"

"Calm down, he's not trying to attack you," murmured Sinbad.

I looked around the room, vision quickly blurring. "I... I didn't do it on purpose, I just... we just... got carried away... and now I've hurt her and I never wanted to do that."

A chair scraped. I flinched away from the towering Imuchakk woman as she knelt before me, face roaring hot with shame.

I was embraced by the scent of ice and the sea. "That's what you meant by 'all you did'," Rurumu whispered. "I'm so sorry. So sorry she had to break your heart." I clutched her shirt and buried my face in her shoulder.

Sin joined the hug from behind. Hinahoho and Drakon piled on, effectively smothering me. Yamuraiha smacked Sharrkan with her staff and forced him into the group for pissing me off when I was so upset.

All eight generals were soon together on the floor, with me in the center. I was thoroughly embarrassed... but it was nice to be consoled. A weight I hadn't realized I was carrying had suddenly been lifted.

~

"Never expected that. Never. I always thought he'd die a virgin. And he had a whirlwind romance with another advisor-"

"Sharrkan, don't you dare bring that up again."

"He's not even here! Or do your spooky water powers tell you he's listening from his room?"

"They do not, but he asked you to drop it."

"I'm not tryna' be mean, I'm just surprised, aren't you?"

"Well sure. But leave him alone, don't say that to his face."

"I'm not going to, just-"

"Just shut up."

"Don't tell me to shut up, you water witch!"

"Don't talk back to me, you brat!"

"Don't tell me what to do!..."


	15. Six Months Later

The ship bound for Sindria was due to leave Balbadd's port. The girl tore up the gangplank.

There were several other people on the deck. She dashed up to the first person she spied - a man in his late twenties, with choppy, pale hair. She grabbed his shoulder and whirled him around.

His eyes widened. "Uh-"

"Pretend you're talking to me," she said, pulling a woolen hijab over her hair.

"What?"

"Now."

He blinked, then burst into surprisingly believable laughter. "And then, you wouldn't believe what happened next!" he exclaimed.

"There's more?" Her face broke into a smile, hiding the adrenaline and fear still pumping through her veins.

The man grinned, getting into his impromptu story. "He's in the rafters, you know? So he jumps down to finally get the guy..." He made elaborate hand gestures to accentuate the tale. "Now, that guy was fast asleep, I mean he was  _ out _ , dreaming about some girl. So my friend, he jumps down..."

The man spied Parthavian soldiers on the dock behind the girl's head. They were pushing around, looking for something. He narrowed his eyes the slightest but kept up his easy guise. "... and the guy's leg come up in the middle of his sleep and socks him right in the stomach!"

"As he's falling?" she exclaimed, incredulous.

"As he's falling!" He kept an eye on the soldiers as he talked. "And he goes flying across the room,  _ crashes  _ into the wall, wakes this guy up." He laughed.

The girl was starting to calm down, but her body was still limned with tension. "Was he alright?"

"Who, my friend? Oh, yeah, he was fine, just a little shocked." The man lowered his voice. "The guards are gone, by the way," he muttered offhandedly, disguising the action with a casual brush of his nose.

She cast an eye behind her and sighed, eyes closing with relief. "Thanks," she said. "I'm sorry for the lack of greeting, that was the quickest way to blend in I could think of." She kept the hood over her magenta hair as she relaxed.

The man laughed. "No problem. That was probably the longest conversation a girl's ever willingly had with me."

She huffed a smile and got a good look at the person she'd crashed into. He was tall and lanky, with narrow shoulders and gangly arms. He wore a Reim-style belted tunic and laced-up sandals. His eyes were pale, his hair was palest violet, and he had a thin line of a scar across the bridge of his nose.

"This ship is going to Sindria?" she asked, looking around.

"Yeah," said the man. He eyed her with a smirk. "On the run from the authorities?"

"Something like that." She leaned against the railing. "How about you?"

He shrugged. "Visiting a couple old friends." He smacked his forehead all of a sudden. "Hey, I never got your name! What is it?"

"Amani bin Yasir," she said smoothly, like she was reciting from a book. Her amethyst eyes bored into his. "Yours?"

He grinned. "Call me Vittel."


	16. Reunion - Ja'far

"Oh, by the way, Ja'far, there's someone in the grand hall for you," said Hinahoho as he left Sinbad's office.

"Huh? Hey, wait!" I looked for dismissal from Sinbad, who nodded me off. I followed the huge Imuchakk warrior. "Hina, who is it?"

He just raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

My heart suddenly jumped. Could it be... no. It couldn't be her. I swallowed that fleeting thought. "Who's in the hall?"

"An old friend," he said with a shrug. "Go see for yourself."

"Fine," I scoffed good-naturedly and turned on my heel.

~

"Chief!"

"Vittel!" I grinned as I descended the staircase to the man by the doors. "I didn't expect you, how are you?"

"I'm great, chief," he said. "I see you're still doing well."

My six month old wound twinged a bit. If he had come earlier, he wouldn't have thought so. "Where's Mahad?"

Vittel shrugged. "Stayed back in Reim to hold down the Sindria Trading Company while I was here." He suddenly straightened and squinted one eye shut, putting a level hand against the crown of his head and measuring his height in comparison to mine. He cleared over my head with a couple inches to spare. "Yep," he said triumphantly, "Still taller."

"Bastard," I grinned.

He clapped me on the back. "You'll get there someday, chief. Anyway," he chattered, "What's been happening around here? Any parties, new lovers, new generals? Did our girl Yam and that kid Sharrkan get together yet? Any attacks or fights... girls? Cute girls?"

I made a decision. "Actually... there is something you should know."

"Oh, gossip?"

I waved him off and said lightheartedly, "Let's go get some food. I'll tell you in the library."

Vittel nodded in acquiescence. "Good deal, good deal, but I expect all the details."

"Whatever you say, Vit."

~

The library hallway was serene, lamplight illuminating the spaces that sunlight didn't reach. A summer breeze brought in the scent of leaves, flower blooms, and salt from the country below. And all of a sudden, an exuberant shout burst through the library doors, Vittel's voice shouting, "Hot DAMN!"

I dropped my head in my hands, partially hiding my mortified smile. "Vittel," I complained, "Keep it down, would you? You said you wouldn't comment!"

The taller ex-assassin was whooping with laughter. "I know, I know, but  _ damn _ , Ja'far, I wasn't expecting that!"

"I hate you, this isn't funny," I insisted, but my friend's giggles were contagious. I was grinning against my will.

He relaxed a little. "You're right. I'm sorry. This is a serious topic. Chief got  _ laid! _ "

"Shut  _ up! _ Someone'll hear you!"

"Oh, is it a big secret?"

"No, it's just..."

"Oh. Well." Vittel immediately slouched back on the couch. "I'd hoped I was the first to know."

"Well, you're not." I flicked my eyebrows up with a superior look.

He snorted. "But still, chief, kudos to you. I mean, sixteen years old and you've already gotten it on? Took me until I was twenty one."

"I am nineteen," I yowled with indignation. "Do your math, Sindria Trading Company Master of Finances."

He grinned and twirled a quill between his long fingers. "I don't know why you people promoted me to that position in the first place. This little sixteen-year-old could run circles around my math skills."

"Clearly. I am not sixteen, and nor am I little, for that matter," I insisted.

"One part of you isn't, at least."

"VITTEL, WHAT THE HELL!?" He'd burst into peals of laughter again. "Gods, why did I ever think telling you was a good idea?"

"It was a horrible idea, but I'm touched that you'd consider it." He grinned. "You're so fun to piss off."

"Gee, thanks, Vit. Why's that?"

"Cause I never would have gotten away with it back in the Sham Lash. You're nicer now. Less ruthless."

I snorted. "Wanna bet?"

"Yeah, actually, I'd take that chance."

"What, I don't scare you anymore?"

"Anymore? 'Course not, chief, you never did."

"Now that's just not true."

"It most certainly is. I had respect for you, as my chief, but you didn't scare me."

"Too young?" I asked.

"Too short."

We spent a couple hours there, chatting and laughing and reconnecting. He told me stories from the Company headquarters in Reim. I filled him in on other things that had gone on in Sindria since his last visit. Yes, Hinahoho and Drakon were doing well. No, Sinbad hadn't hooked up with that Kou princess yet. No, I hadn't lost all credibility when yelling at Sin.

Somehow, Vittel always managed to loop the conversation back to the affair. I laughed it off, changed the subject, turned the lens onto him. It gave me a little bit of hope, that now the whole thing was behind me and I could talk about it without feeling depressed... but there was something sacrilegious in making jokes out of it. Vittel was just playing around, but deep down, I still knew it used to be love.

"Hey," he said at length, "We should do something fun while I'm here. Have you been keeping your assassin skills up?"

I caught onto his lead. A slow smile spread across my face. "Definitely."

"Excellent," he grinned. "So have I."

"Sparring match in the plaza, noon tomorrow?"

"Oh, you know it." His features took on his telltale malicious slant, hearkening back to the time when he was just a teenager who killed for a living. "I'm gonna kick your ass, chief."

I matched his assassin grin. "Only if you can catch me."


	17. The Duel - Priya

I stayed the night at an inn near the wharf. I hadn't felt ready to storm the palace and proclaim my undying love the same day I got off the boat. I still didn't feel ready, a day later. I was still getting used to my new reality. My new position. My new life. I paid the innkeeper to reserve my little room for another night - I'd probably keep doing so until I felt confident enough to make my way to the palace.

He was here. Just at the top of that mountain. So close... yet, at the same time, still so far away.

I was poking around the large marketplace about halfway up the mountain, picking up some bread and fruit for lunch under the awning of one of the many shops that lined the space. I hadn't seen very much of the country itself the last time I was here - gods, was it only six months ago? - and I was amazed at the sheer bounty and prosperity. Produce stands were stocked with ripe fruits, bakeries produced sugar-glazed confections of every kind, fine craftsmen bartered jewelry and weapons and clothes in every hue. I could probably come to this market every day for a year and still find something new every time.

Something interrupted the flow of colorful market-goers as I was polishing off my lunch. A herald was standing on a balcony, cupping his mouth with one hand and pointing up the mountain with the other. "In the sparring square today, just three blocks up the hill!" he called. "A grand duel, folks! Come and witness the dead fighting style of the Sham Lash assassins, for one event only!"

I shot to my feet. I knew those words. 

Sham Lash. Assassins.

_ Ja'far _ .

I hurried through the crowd, squeezing past when necessary, following the trickle of people heading to this 'sparring square'. I had to find him, see him again. Maybe now was the time to make myself known.

The crowd ended at a huge, wide-open area that resembled the circular sparring area at the palace, only on a much greater scale. The pillars were twice as thick, twice as high, still supporting nothing but the sky above. The shops made a ring around the arena, which was raised about a foot off the ground to separate it from the sidewalk. The street-level ring was teeming with excitable crowds.

I was a row of people in. Though I craned my neck, I didn't see anyone in the ring yet.

After perhaps five or ten minutes, in which the crowds became denser and denser around me, cheers rose in a mighty swell from the opposite end of the square. A different herald appeared on the balcony of the clock tower as it chimed noon. She held a horn to her mouth and spoke.

"Welcome to the first-ever public demonstration of the fighting style of the Sham Lash assassin troupe!" Riotous applause. Her voice was magnified over the din - the horn must have been magic. "Folks, you may have seen Heliohapt swordfighting, or Sasan lancing, and you may have seen our Third General during a Hunt of a South Seas creature, but that was nothing compared to the duel you will witness today!" She threw her hand to the left. "So, without further ado, give it up for your combatants today!"

The arena shook with the cheers.

"On this side... adamant opponent of al Tharman... advisor to His Majesty King Sinbad... our Third General and favorite ex-assassin: Ja'far al Rahim!"

It was then that everyone in the crowd simultaneously noticed the figure standing at the top of one of the pillars. Clad in a colorless linen drape that came down to his wrists, knee-length trousers of the same material, sandals laced up his calves, a strip of linen tied around his forehead, the red strings of his kenai blades visible up his arms as he leaped from the dizzying height and landed in a crouch. He stood and gave a little wave to the crowd, who responded with adoration.

He was as beautiful as I remembered. That soft white hair, those green eyes, those freckles…

"And on this side..." continued the announcer, "former subordinate of his opponent... Master of Finances for the Sindria Trading Company... fellow ex-Sham Lash assassin: Vittel al Haral!"

I blinked in shock. From the other side of the arena was... Vittel. The same Vittel from the ship, the same one I force-started a conversation with. Same pale hair and scar over his nose, carrying a double-sided weapon that looked like two big kenai blades joined by a handle grip. He wore the same sort of outfit as his opponent. It must have been a Sham Lash style.

I couldn't believe it. His old friend... was  _ Ja'far _ ?  What were the odds?

"The combatants have requested, for the protection of the viewers, to refrain from using their household vessel and mutation skill, respectively. So, sorry, folks, if you were expecting some lightning action, you gotta wait for the next Hunt!" The announcer turned to the two young men in the middle of the square. "Combatants, at the ready!"

I could see Ja'far telling his friend something as he got into a fighting stance, but couldn't hear the exact words. By the smirk on the other ex-assassin's face as he replied, I could only infer they were taunting each other.

"Fight!"

The word had barely left the announcer's lips before Vittel hurled his weapon at his friend, but Ja'far had leaped backwards in a heartbeat. The blade crunched into the stone he'd stood on a second before. The crowd made a collective  _ Oh  _ as the advisor did a backwards flip and landed  on the awning of a mobile cabbage cart that had gotten stuck in the crowd.

"Hey, you're still pretty fast," called Vittel, snatching up his blade.

"And you still like to hit first," replied Ja'far with a grin. His opponent's weapon cracked into the wooden cart, sending cabbages flying and Ja'far leaping away. The crowd gasped. Vittel jumped to the cart, grabbed it back, and followed him.

The advisor was using his momentum to leap from pillar to pillar, and then jumped out into open air, flinging his arms open. Twin kenai blades shot out at lightning speed, but his friend dodged them easily, ducking under the strings.

I was enthralled. Each movement took less than a second. They were constantly moving, diving close, leaping away, attacking from afar, then appearing for a point blank blow. I was reminded of the time I'd happened across Ja'far training in the gardens, but this was on a whole different level. He was faster, lighter... happier. He was in his element here. Even as his friend took shots at each other with attacks that could have killed a regular person, they were both grinning away.

Vittel barely managed to escape an attack that pinned his arms and legs with a few well-placed strings. He dodged a leaping kick and shook them off. He was losing. His blade might have been larger and he might have been bigger, but Ja'far was so fast I could hardly follow him with my own eyes, especially now that he had gotten into the zone.

Gritting his teeth, Vittel suddenly dropped his weapon and curled his hands into fists. Then he threw them towards his friend, fingers splayed out like claws.

I, along with the rest of the crowd, cried out in shock as Vittel's arms grew longer, countless elbow joints jutting out at intervals. He snatched Ja'far out of the air and lifted him up, up, higher than the pillars, the advisor yowling the entire way.

The audience was equally stunned. People were jabbering away. "What magic is that?" "Is that his mutation skill?" "I've never seen something like that!" "Is this part of the Sham Lash assassin technique?"

" _ The hell, Vittel!? _ " shouted Ja'far, hanging upside down where his friend held his ankle in his fist. 

"Surrender, chief?" called the man on the ground.

Even from so high up, I could see him grin. "You wish," he said. He kicked out of his grip, flipped right side up as he plummeted from the sky, then crossed his blades over his chest. Lightning suddenly crackled in the air, and I felt the small hairs on my arms stand up.

"Household Vessel: _ Balalark Sei! _ " he shouted. Above his falling form, a circle with two overlapping squares appeared - the eight-pointed star of the Djinn. He threw his blades out, but this time, blinding blue lightning encased them, sending them flying with a will of their own at twice the speed.

Vittel could do nothing but gape as the blades flew around him, pinning his arms and legs together, nicking his skin and clothes as they went. There was a brilliant flash of light and the sound of cracking thunder.

When the spots cleared from my eyes, I took a good look at what had happened.

Ja'far stood in the center of the arena, pulling back his blades, all of the magic from his household vessel dissipated. Vittel's arms had returned to their normal length, and he was on the ground a little while off. Unmoving. The advisor furrowed his brow and took a step closer, like a hunter approaching an animal to see if his shot had been fatal.

It wasn't. 

Without warning, Vittel sprang upwards with a cheerful yowl and a punch that Ja'far easily dodged... but the instant he was on his feet, his cry spiraled into a groan and he nearly toppled over. Ja'far caught him.

"You okay, there?" he asked.

Vittel was holding his head, trying and failing to remain upright without his friend's assistance. "Wwwwow," he said, closing his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good... but  _ shit _ , man, that vessel is no joke. I'm dizzy as hell."

"I warned you."

"Yeah, I know." He finally managed to stand with only a little bit of reeling. 

Ja'far frowned. "Think you can keep going, or do you want to surrender now?"

Vittel winced and said, "I think I'm gonna bail." He laughed. "Man, if I knew your household vessel packed this bad a punch, I never would have used my arms."

"Serves you right. And I was holding back on the lightning, too."

Vittel swore good-naturedly.

The herald announced Ja'far as the winner, and the crowd applauded the good show. I blocked all of it out. Ja'far had taken his friend by the shoulder and was leading him out of the arena. Walking away.

This was my only chance, before he disappeared back into the palace. I'd never get an opportunity like this, I had to face him,  _ now _ , before my resolve broke down again!

I shoved my way past the people streaming past. I fought to keep him in my sights, but the bobbing heads made it harder and harder. "Ja'far," I called. Louder. "Ja'far!"

I couldn't see him anymore. " _ Ja'far _ !"

There!

An opening appeared just as the two ex-assassins prepared to make for the sidewalk between two buildings. "Ja'far!"

This time, he heard me. He stopped. Turned his head.

And froze.

Eyes wide, like he'd seen a ghost.

Staring right at me.


	18. Explanations and Resolutions - Ja'far and Priya

~ Ja'far ~

 

I blinked. Once. Twice. It didn't change.

Priya still stood in front of me. Gone was her red silk hood. Her fancy clothes. Her eyeliner, her jewelry, everything about her that I remembered. She wore rugged commoners' clothes, now - a woven dress, soft shoes, a simple belt around her waist. Her magenta-purple hair was down, shining, but a small section in the back was tied up in a pigtail, keeping it out of her eyes.

She was still as beautiful as the day I first laid eyes on her. And the sight of her ripped wide open again the wound in my heart I'd worked so hard to heal.

"Oh, hey," said Vittel casually. "Come to see the show?"

I whirled around. "You know her?" I exclaimed.

He nodded. "Yeah, her name's Amani. She's from Balbadd. We took the ship here to Sindria together-"

"I lied," said Priya. Vittel blinked. "My name isn't Amani and I'm not from Balbadd. It's Priya, actually. And I'm from-"

"Dubaiya." I finished with a note of bitterness.

She met my eyes. It wasn't fair, she was so lovely. "Yes," she said. "I missed you."

"You did?" I spat. "Then maybe you shouldn't have thrown that Eye."

My friend had been putting the pieces together off to the side. Suddenly, his mouth dropped open. "Hang on," he said, "Is this the girl you..."

"Yes," I said, voice dangerously low, "This is Priya, the girl I so foolishly gave myself to."

He covered his mouth. "Ohhh shit," he muttered, thinking I couldn't hear him, "This is about to get scary."

"'So foolishly?' What's that supposed to mean?" asked the other advisor.

I snorted. "Don't play it down, you hurt me enough." I pointed a finger at her. "I thought you loved me. You said you did. And I sacrificed everything because I loved you. I thought that would mean something to you. I gave you that Eye so we could communicate, get back together, and maybe... sometime down the road... get married."

There. It was out. Priya blinked. I kept going. "I would have married you. I would have made myself your husband, forever. And what did you do?" She went to say something, but I cut her off. "You literally threw it away. That was our future. And you didn't even have the decency to wait until you were gone before throwing it away like it was trash."

She was shaking her head, boring into my mind with those amethyst eyes. The smile on her face was thin and didn't hold a scrap of happiness. "Really," she said. She was pissed, and that smile could make even the cruelest assassins from the Sham Lash quake in fear. "You think I'd do that to you. Blow you off four days after sleeping with you. I might have been a brothel dancer when I was fifteen, but you  _ know  _ that's not who I am, not any more than you're a vicious kid assassin."

"Do I? Do I know that?" I seethed. "Because quite honestly I don't think I know you at all."

"I didn't throw that Eye of the Rukh."

"Why should I believe you? Give me one good reason. Do you even know how much pain you caused me? How many meals I skipped over you? How many nights I lay awake, exhausted, scared to cry myself to sleep for fear that memories of you would haunt my dreams?"

She bit her lip and her eyes glistened. I realized she was about to cry. "And you never thought that maybe I lost sleep over you? That maybe, just maybe, I couldn't eat and couldn't sleep and couldn't live once I realized I wouldn't see you the next day?"

"Why should I have?  _ You  _ got rid of the rutting Eye, not me!"

"Gods, just listen to me, damn it!" Tears ran down her face as she shouted. "I didn't throw that thrice damned Eye, okay?  _ I didn't do it! _ I  _ wanted  _ to keep it. I would have said yes in a heartbeat if you asked me to marry you. You think that night meant nothing to me? You're wrong, it meant everything!"

"What's your side, then?" I growled.

She didn't wipe away her tears, just glared through them. "Prince Karheem threw it. I made the mistake of mentioning that Yamuraiha made it, and you know how twitchy he is about Magnostadt and the Black Rukh. He grabbed the Eye out of my hands and hurled it over the deck of the ship. I was inconsolable for days."

It was a perfectly logical story. It was either a fabulous lie... or the truth. Her tears and her passion made me think that this was what really happened. The part of me that still loved her grasped at the story like a lifeline. 

I wanted to believe her. I realized in that moment just how badly I wanted to. I hadn't stopped loving her when I got over the betrayal. I'd still loved her fiercely this whole time.

But she was a diplomat, and probably the most cunning I'd ever met. She could just as easily be lying. To tease me. To con me. To pull me under and hurt me again.

But... she could be telling the truth.

I was silent for a long time. She stopped crying and kept her gaze locked on my face, daring me to question her.

"Priya," I said slowly. She inhaled. "If... if... I believed you. What would you want from me? Why did you come back?"

"Acceptance," she said. "I came back because of you, and only you. I realize now that you were hurt badly the day I left... and I'm sorry. I just want your forgiveness. I want to start over. With you. Here, in Sindria."

I shook my head. Those words, no matter how I yearned for them in those first months after she left... they were far too little, far too late. "And if I accepted you. Forgave you. How can you prove to me that you won't break my heart again? How can you prove you won't just leave? How can I possibly trust you?"

Now she was quiet. She closed her eyes and said, "You want proof of my commitment, beyond my love? Then the proof, Ja'far, lies in the fact that I don't have a homeland to leave to anymore."

The final blow. The wall came crumbling down, and my stupid, irrational, loving heart took over. "The secret got out," I said. "Someone found out that you had an affair. You were banished."

"No." She shook her head. "It never got out. That's not what I mean. It's worse, so much worse. I mean I don't have a country anymore." She looked me in the eyes. "Parthavia attacked."

 

~ Priya ~

 

Our trip to Sindria was all talk and no value. In the end, Parthavia wasn't interested in diplomacy at all. They'd been growing more and more aggressive since the first dungeon appeared, Dubaiya's introduction into the Seven Seas Alliance was the final straw. A month and a half ago, they attacked.

Thirteen western villages were burned to the ground within a few days. They're still invading as we speak, they've probably overtaken the entire country by now. Our situation was dire. To protect our country's future, the king ordered every last possible heir to the throne to leave Dubaiya and scatter. Royal succession is different with us: after the princess and her brother and their five cousins, all of their advisors are next in line, in the same order. So, technically, I am eighth in line, and Tariq is ninth. I suppose the king decided that we advisors spent enough time around the royal family to know how to run a country in their place.

Whatever the reason, all of us had to leave. And until Parthavia backed off, we could never return to reclaim our homeland.

I was very doubtful that Parthavia would back down anytime soon.

Farrah gathered us in her chambers the discuss our plans. "We need to split up," she'd said. "Only one ship can leave Dubaiya at this point, but once we hit Balbadd, we each need to go our separate ways. Parthavian troops will no doubt follow us, maybe even "escort" us to port, but in the end..." She inhaled, a soothing breath. "They'll be burdened with armor and weapons. If push comes to shove - run."

We were silent, the four of us, dressed up in travelers' clothes. Farrah and I wore linen hijabs, completely covering our necks and hair, shadowing our faces. Karheem had made the tactful decision not to wash his hair or shave for a few days, so with his shawl and stubble across his jaw, no one could ever tell he was royal.

"Where will you go?" Farrah's eyes were still dark and full of authority. She'd never lose that spark.

Karheem spoke first. "Magnostadt." He didn't look up to see our mouths drop open. "I'll involve myself in rebuilding. Anyone who knows anything about me would never look for me there. After all," he said with a humorless laugh, "I was always scared that the Black Rukh would summon the end of this world right in our backyard. Parthavia's clearly already done that. I've got no reason left to fear it."

His sister laid a hand on his arm in a consoling gesture. It was the first time in memory that she willingly touched him instead of swatted him for something. She turned to us and said, "I'm going to Reim and becoming a citizen. Parthavia can't kill me without inciting discord between both colossal empires. It's a form of insurance, it'll at least hold them off." She looked to me. "Priya?"

I could do it. It was my chance. But would it be worth it? Would he even want me back, after all this time? "I... I'll go to Sindria." How should I word this? "King Sinbad's advisor and I are... good friends. He'll know what to do, know what place would be safest."

"And I have extended family in Kou. I'll hop around between them," said Tariq.

It was settled. We said our formal goodbyes, because the scene at the docks of Balbadd could get chaotic, as it turns out it did. Farrah hugged me one last time. Karheem apologized for throwing my "sparkly thing," and I forgave him. But Tariq…

He held me tight, and I held him back. "I know we could never make it work as a couple," he said tentatively. "Our destinies weren't entwined as much as I hoped. We were doomed from the start... and you know I will never forgive myself for what I almost did to you, don't you?"

"Of course," I said. "But please, don't let it destroy you. Move on. Start a new life in Kou, do it for me."

"And you, do the same in Sindria, for me," he replied. He came close and murmured one final thought into my ear. "If you can... find true love over there, Priya, and don't you dare let it go."

~

A Parthavian naval cruiser tailed our ship all the way to Balbadd. They knew the royals were on it. Somehow, they knew. In the gap of time between when we made it to port and when the huge ship lowered its own gangplank, we hopped the railing and split up, hiding in the crowds of the Balbadd bazaar.

I had to lay over three days in the city, dodging Parthavian soldiers and living like a slum citizen. But I was finally able to get onto a ship bound for Sindria, and it was there I met Vittel...

 

~ Ja'far ~

 

My heart ached for her. She'd lost everything - her country, her future, her friends. There was no way she could make this kind of a story up.

I refused to believe she was lying. If it led me to pain later on, so be it. "So... what of the Alliance?" I asked.

"There's nothing left of Dubaiya now. Currently, I'd bet Parthavia's guarding its new piece of land like a dragon on its hoard, pointing its spears at anyone who dares challenge it, bulking up its armies with as many dungeon capturers as it can find. They're probably counting on the fact that the Seven Seas Alliance won't start a global war over such a tiny piece of land, especially if they threaten mass destruction and loss of life in the process."

Her hunch was right, I knew it. The Alliance had armies, but they were scattered widely and vastly diverse. Parthavia had a colossal force of single-minded soldiers and cohesive hierarchy of  power. If we challenged them, they would no doubt destroy Dubaiya amid the chaos of war. They had us at a stalemate.

Now was not the right time for action. Once Parthavia calmed down... then we would act.

But in the meantime, Priya had nowhere to call home.

"I'm... I'm so sorry," I said, lost for words. "I don't know what to say..."

"You don't need to say anything," she said quietly. She put a slender hand on my arm - the same gesture from our first meetings, the casual one that still felt so intimate. "Just being here is enough. You're all I have left now."

_ Start a new life _ .

"I love you," she said. "There aren't enough words to tell you how much I love you. And I know you must still have some feelings for me still, at the very least, or you wouldn't still be listening to me with that concerned expression on your face."

_ Find true love and don't you dare let it go _ .

"You're right," I admitted. "I... I do still love you. I don't ever want to be alone again."

"You won't have to. I promise I'll be by your side, forever, if you'll have me," she said, clasping her hands in front of her.

_ If I'll have her? Did he even need to ask? _ I closed my hands around hers. "Yes," I said. "I want you back in my life, Priya. If  _ you'll  _ have  _ me _ ."

Her eyes sparkled with happiness. I pushed back her hair - I'd never done that before, it was always under her hood - and traced the outline of her jaw with my fingertips.

_ Don't you dare let it go. _

I kissed her.

It was so familiar, so nostalgic - our first kiss, first real touch, after that night we lost ourselves, I realized. My fingers were under her chin, tipping it up so her lips could fit against mine the way they were meant to. This was right.

We pulled apart, her breath still warm on my mouth. I kissed her forehead, smiling.

Vittel coughed, drawing our attention. He was grinning too. "So," he said, "I assume you won't be duking it out, then? I was worried for a second there I was about to be caught in the crossfire of you two ripping each other to pieces."

"No, Vit, you're safe," I smiled.

"Oh, good. I do love a happy ending." He touched his fingertips together. "However, enlighten me. Your lovers' language was a bit hard to follow, for an man uneducated in this field such as myself, so... do I hear wedding bells, or not? Are we going to have little lavender-haired assassin diplomats running around soon?"

I could feel myself blushing. Hard. I glanced at Priya, radiating sunlight. The thrill of having an audience, even just one person, was so exhilarating I didn't know what to do with myself. "Priya," I asked, "whose permission do I need in order to ask you to marry me?"

Vittel gasped.

"Well," said the Dubaiyan girl, "I think Princess Farrah would be the one to ask."

"But she's in Reim and probably untraceable," I replied.

"Very true. We seem to have a predicament on our hands." She gave me that gods-damned suggestive smirk again. "What did we do the last time we were faced with such a situation?"

"Made a very poor yet regrettably enjoyable decision that brought about high levels of anxiety and pain to both of us for an extended period of time?"

"Irrelevant," she winked. "We did it anyway, princess and decorum be damned."

Vittel made a small noise off in his corner of awkwardness that sounded like a cross between an uncomfortable snicker and a squeak of surprise.

"In that case," I said, holding her hands tight before me, "Will please do me the honor... maybe soon, maybe not for a while, but sometime, at some point, now that you're here... of becoming my wife?"

She was nodding before I even finished talking, grinning wider and wider. "Of course," she exclaimed, throwing her arms around my neck and holding me tight, laughing. It was all moving so fast, so surreally. I don't know exactly what happened next, if we kissed again, if we just held each other and soaked up the Rukh flitting around.

After a respectful amount of time, Vittel finally pounced. "This is  _ too  _ precious," he cheered. He pulled me away and gave me a bone-crushing one-armed hug while roughly messing up my hair. "To think, there was once a time when I never thought you'd ever be anything other than a scruffy, foul-mouthed kid who killed people for a living!"

"Vittel," I squeaked, "Can't breathe."

"And look at you now, basically engaged, a smart and successful guy!" He finally let me go and turned to Priya - my fiancee, Priya. "And you - I mean, I don't really know you at all, really, but you're cute and smart enough, so if Ja'far likes you, then you can't be half bad. As long as you don't screw him over again, I suppose I'll let him marry you."

"What are you, his guardian?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"I, madam, am his best friend, thank you very much!"

"What about Mahad, or Sinbad for that matter?" I asked.

He scoffed. "Close seconds." I barked a laugh. Vittel waved a hand. "This is beside the point. We have a wedding to plan!"

"Vittel, it probably won't be for months, this isn't an imminent thing," Priya said.

"Yeah, most of the court doesn't even know Priya's here," I said, raising an eyebrow at his enthusiasm. "And who nominated you to be in charge of any planning that may or may not occur?"

"I did!" My friend pressed a hand against his chest. "And I'll be the best man and godfather of all of your children! Best and oldest friend, remember?"

I grinned and wrapped an arm around my fiancee's waist. "How about we focus on breaking this to Sin and the rest of the generals for now, okay?"

"But best man later."

"If you insist."


	19. Fate's Design - Sinbad

"Who won?" I asked, not looking up from my scroll as Vittel walked into the office.

"Oh, Ja'far," said the ex-assassin. "Yeah, he definitely won. Big time."

I looked up, frowning. Vittel didn't look terribly injured at all - in fact, he was grinning madly. "What happened?" I asked. "You're acting odd."

"You are gonna  _ love  _ this, you'll  _ never guess _ what just happened."

From behind him, my advisor poked his head around the corner. He had a little smile on his face, like he was restraining happiness. "Sin?" he said.

"Yeah?" I asked, unsure of what to expect.

"I... need to tell you something."

"What's going on? This is scaring me, now. Someone just tell me-" the words died in my throat as Ja'far stepped into the room... holding hands with a girl I thought I'd never see again. Priya Maashava.

"King Sinbad," she said.

I stuttered. "Uh... hello, um, Priya. I... wasn't aware you returned. It's nice to see you."

"Likewise. I'm very glad to be back in Sindria." I spied her squeeze my friend's hand. "However..." her face fell. "My circumstances for returning could not be less ideal."

I frowned. "How so?"

"Our negotiations were inevitably futile. Parthavia didn't care about diplomacy. The Emperor commenced a whirlwind invasion of my country, too swiftly and completely for us to bother requesting aid from the Seven Seas Alliance. The Dubaiyan heirs fled and scattered, along with their advisors. We're on the run from Parthavia. Princess Farrah and Prince Karheem are undercover somewhere in the world, even I don't know where they are."

I sensed the Rukh around her tremble slightly. That last phrase was a lie. "Are you sure?" I asked.

She narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I am. However... if the opportune moment for reconquest of my homeland should arise at some point in the future, and the Alliance requests it of me... I might be able to find a way to send word to them, wherever they may be."

Clearly, she was intent on keeping the whereabouts of her friends a secret. I didn't entirely blame her - she didn't know me that well, and several of my generals had been Parthavian at one time or other. I didn't press her on it. "If such a moment should arise," I promised, "We will do everything we can to free your homeland from their grip."

Priya seemed to relax a bit. "Thank you, Your Majesty," she said. "However... since it could very well be decades until that happens, Princess Farrah asked us all to start new lives wherever we end up." She clasped her hands before her. "I came to Sindria for that new life. I humbly ask to join your government and contribute to the welfare of your great country and the welfare of its alliances as a diplomat, if you'll have me. You've seen my skills up close, and I hope you'll take this into consideration."

She was right. I had seen her negotiate, and she was frighteningly good. "Is this a position you truly want?" I asked. "You won't be anyone's advisor anymore, and it will most likely be a step down from what you're used to."

"I'm fine with that," she said. "I just want to work alongside and be with you all... and him." She snuck a glance at Ja'far, whose eyes lit up.

If her resume wasn't enough, that happiness on my friend's face sealed the deal. "In that case, Priya, I'll certainly find you a job in my government."

"Thank you very much."

"But about that last part..." I said, resting my chin on my hand, "The last time you were here - or rather, just after you left - I understand that there was a miscommunication between you two..."

"No, it was all a misunderstanding," she said quickly.

"The prince threw it, not her," hastened Ja'far.

"Trust me, I was just as upset as he was."

"That's... actually great to hear," I smiled. "You seem to have worked it all out, I'm glad there are no hard feelings. So you're... I'm assuming you two are good?"

They nodded. "Definitely," said my friend. "And actually... the main reason we came to you was..." I raised an eyebrow. They slipped an arm around each other's waists, beamed at each other, then me, and Ja'far said, "... To ask you for your blessing as king to get married."

I couldn't help it. My mouth fell open a little in shock. I didn't say anything for a moment. "Oh," I squeaked out. "Really?"

"Not anytime soon, I don't think," Ja'far clarified, looking to the girl, who nodded. "Just a formality, really. I think we'll wait until Priya is better settled into court life. But still, I figured you should know firsthand... so you won't have to rely on Aladdin anymore."

I laughed. "I... suppose. I was not expecting that, is all. You're committed to do it, then?"

"Yes."

"Then, by all means," I said, spreading my arms, "Yes. Marry, whenever you'd like."

"Thank you," grinned my friend.

"I'm excited for you, I think you'll be very happy together. I've had a feeling about the both of you since Ja'far yelled at me for calling the delegates pretty when you arrived."

"Sin, that's not something you should say out loud," said Ja'far weakly. "And how could you  _ possibly  _ have had a feeling that early on?"

I shrugged. "Well, maybe not. Maybe it was when you were gazing at each other across the dinner table..."

Vittel snorted loudly.

"Or when you were checking each other out during negotiations..."

"Ah," blushed Priya.

"Or making out in the hall..."

"I think we'll go chat with the eight generals," said my friend, turning very red. "Goodbye, Sinbad." They left.

I flicked my eyebrows at his back with intrigue.

Vittel glanced at me. "Goddamn, did you seriously walk in on them making out?"

"No, that was a total guess," I admitted. The ex-assassin barked a laugh. "So  _ I  _ learned something today, it seems."

We chuckled over our thoughts for a while. Vittel eventually sobered. "It's kind of sad, you know?" he said. "How the delegates came all the way across the ocean to join the Alliance, but were attacked too fast and too viciously to use it. Makes you think the whole thing was pointless."

"If there's one thing I learned about this world, it's that nothing is pointless. There's a purpose for everything that happens," I said.

"Then what was the point of that visit?"

I shrugged. "Honestly... I'm starting to think that the only reason fate let them come was so that Ja'far could fall in love."

"You think so?"

"As of right now, it's the only lasting impression that visit had. And look at what just happened - the two of them would never have met if she didn't come here, and they would never be engaged. And down the road, a couple years, maybe, they might even have kids of their own. I mean, that one encounter could bring about new life. That's pretty significant."

"I see your point." Vittel looked out the window. At length, he spoke again. "It makes me happy, seeing him like that. Smiling. In love. I'm just happy that fate gave him this little bit of joy to call his own, after being raised in the pits of hell with the rest of us in the Sham Lash. I'm proud of him. He's like the little brother I never had."

"I know how you feel," I said with a small smile.

There was a new vitality to the Rukh in the palace that day. My hunch about fate's design was correct.


End file.
